The Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford hosted the annual South of England Young Athletes’
Championships at the weekend, writes Alan Newman.

Medway and Maidstone's Isaac Milham took the under-15 title in the 80m hurdles (11.45sec) and Tonbridge’s Joe Fuggle is the new under-17 men’s 400m hurdles title holder after a fine personal best 53.77.

Jade Oni (Medway and Maidstone, 1.65m) was 15cm clear of the pack in the under-15 women’s high jump and Alfie Scopes’ personal best (Tonbridge, 14.35m) was enough for under-17 gold in the shot. Scopes also topped the discus (48.35).

Zara Edeleanu (Medway and Maidstone, 13.62) exited in the under-15 girls’ 100m heats before finishing 11th in the long jump final (4.78).

M&M’s Nathan Isaac (11.87, PB) and Rory Kuypers (11.92) were at the rear of the under-15 100m final after Kuypers (11.83) had looked good winning his heat and Isaac ran personal bests in both heat and final.

Kuypers (24.02) was fifth in the 200m final and Isaac (24.71) added another best in the heats.

Megan Walsh (M&M, 40.37 PB) raced to silver in the under-17 300m while Matthew Hawkes’ PB 400m heat (M&M, 54.16) gained him a place in the final where he was seventh (54.38). Club-mate Lola Wheeler (4min52.0sec PB) won bronze in the under-17 1,500m.

There were hurdles qualifying appearances from Emily Featherstone in the under-15 75m (12.40) and under-17 Joseph Thurgood (14.47) at 100m, while Imogen Munday (49.10) was eighth in the under-17 women’s 300m hurdles after a 47.81 heat and Thurgood (1.75) was fifth in his under-17 high jump final.

Rachel Midwinter (M&M, 23.73) finished fourth in the women’s under-15 javelin.