NEWSLETTER
W INTER 2007
Volume 3; Issue 2
Team Kennet athletes at some this year’s cross country fixtures. There have been some outstanding individual and team successes this year.
Athlete of the Month
Welcome to the second issue of volume 3 of the
Team Kennet newsletter. We’re now in the
middle of the cross country season, and this
newsletter contains updates on all league and
championship cross country matches, road and
trail running updates and triathlon news.
Club Website Address
http://www.teamkennet.com
If you have any suggestions, additions or
amendments you would like to see in
forthcoming editions of this newsletter, then
please
contact
Rachael
Elliott
on
rachael.elliott@gmail.com or 07931 722817.
Congratulations to the following members who
have recently won the award:
October
November
December
:
:
:
Tom Milburn
Giverny Barrett
Margaret Smith
Volunteer of the Month
We would be lost without the help from those
who put the work in to ensure smooth running of
the club. The following people were awarded
the title of Volunteer of the Month recently:
September
October
November
December
:
:
:
:
Jane Tucker
Nick Bull
Liz Hawkins
Ian Payne
Page 2
Team Kennet Newsletter
Chairman’s Address
It’s coming to the end of another successful year at the club where there has been another steady growth in
the club’s membership, mainly in the senior section.
May I take this opportunity to let all members know it is the 20th year of the club next year. We would like
support all year on pushing the club to new limits: we have some excellent coaches and, with their athletes,
we need to push the club forward attract new members and promote the club on a larger scale. There is so
much happening in the club now across the different disciplines which the results and reports with photos
help promote. The club is also currently going through a refurbishment of coaching groups in the junior
section ready for the new year.
As the summer season approaches, the junior section is going to need more helpers/coaches. We would be
extremely grateful to any of the level 1 coaches and helpers who could give up another day to help coach
athletes.
The senior triathletes have a new club championship system that operates very well in a table scoring
manner. Three new trophies were introduced at the presentation to reflect this new system and any
triathletes taking part in the 2008 season will be able to benefit from this new system.
The presentation night will be in November next year and, rather than having a disco, the club will be
spending an interactive evening at the racing. It is hoped that this will attract more senior athletes and
triathletes in the club to attend and become involved in the club’s activities.
The newsletter contains reports of all that has been happening over the past few months, together with dates
for the upcoming year. May I take this opportunity to wish all members of the club a very happy Christmas
and new year. Let’s make the clubs 20th year a really good one!
Nick Bull
Chairman
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 3
Awards Evening
The annual presentation evening took place on Friday 23rd November at Thatcham Town football club.
Over 130 athletes, coaches and parents attended what was an excellent evening and saw awards
presented for many excellent performances and achievements during 2007.
The award winners were:
UNDER 9s
Athlete of the Season
Jamie Killner
UNDER 11s
Best Track Athlete
Aaron Conway
Best Field Athlete
Michaela Adams
Runner Up
Shannon Burnett/Andrew Doublard/Rhea Walter
Runner Up
Cara Adams
UNDER 13s
Best Track Athlete
Tom Cogdell
Best Field Athlete
Alisha Bradford
Runner Up
Codie Burnett/Yolanda Nicholson/Jack Hatton
Runner Up
Lauren Killner
UNDER 15s
Best Track Athlete
Katie Pontin
Best Field Athlete
Letitia Rizan
Runner Up
Emily Sissons
Runner Up
Lucy Scott
UNDER 17s
Best Track Athlete
Bertie Lewis
Best Field Athlete
Justin Lakey
Runner Up
Liam Sneath/Lucy Cogdell
Runner Up
Andrew Furneaux
MOST IMPROVED ATHLETE
Aiden Marshall
MOST DEDICATED ATHLETE AWARD
Suzi Cookson
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Team Kennet Newsletter
LEE THROWS CUP
Alisha Bradford
JUNIOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Bertie Lewis
Runner Up
Katie Pontin
BEST SENIOR MALE TRACK ATHLETE
James Moorcroft
RUNNER UP
Nick Bull/Mark Shepherd
BEST SENIOR MALE FIELD ATHLETE
Richard Knape
RUNNER UP
Stan Chambers
SENIOR MENS ATHLETES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Richard Knape
BEST SENIOR FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE
Rachael Elliott
RUNNER UP
Nicola Cogdell
BEST SENIOR FEMALE FIELD ATHLETE
Steph Poulson
RUNNER UP
Judy Poulson/Penny Cogdell
SENIOR WOMENS ATHLETES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Nicola Cogdell
TERRY BAKER AWARD
Rachael Elliott
BOTTOM AWARD
Dave Mitcham
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Mark Shepherd
TRIATHLON JUNIOR CLUB ATHLETE
Aston Nicholls
TRIATHLON MALE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Dave Milburn
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 5
TRIATHLON FEMALE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Rachael Elliott
TRIATHLON VET CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Graham Muse
TRIATHLON MALE SERIES CLUB CHAMPION
Dave Milburn
TRIATHLON FEMALE SERIES CHAMPION
Rachael Elliott
MULTI-SPORTS MALE AWARD
Mark Shepherd
MULTI-SPORTS FEMALE AWARD
Rose Metalli
TRIATHLON CYCLING AWARD
Roger Davis
TRIATHLON SWIMMING AWARD
Graham Muse
TRIATHLON RUNNING AWARD
Bart Kuitjen
MALE ROAD RUNNING CHAMPION
Mark Shepherd
FEMALE ROAD RUNNING CHAMPION
Lorraine Croggon
CHAIRMAN’S CUP
Ian Killner
The awards were presented by Mark Hatton, an ex-Great Britain International athlete, Commonwealth
Games bronze medal winner and now Team Kennet coach.
Mark Hatton also made a short presentation to highlight the impact of the growth and success the Club has
achieved during the last 3 years. His talk reinforced that Team Kennet’s primary focus in athletics is as a
development club for all ages and abilities with the U9/U11/U13 athletes, of which there are now about 110
(50% of all members) still representing the core of the Club.
However, the success of Team Kennet is now also reflected in the retention of “yester years” U11/U13 with a
complement of nearly 50 U15/U17’s. A number of these athletes also now compete and achieve high
rankings at County, Regional and National level.
On the night, Mark specifically introduced his group of sprint/hurdle athletes which is one of three
performance running groups. Mark Shepherd coaches a group of sprint/middle distance athletes and Nick
Bull coaches an endurance group. In addition, Helen Shilton and Graham Chambers are progressing their
qualifications to coach to performance level in throws.
Page 6
Team Kennet Newsletter
In recognition of their ability, a number of Team Kennet athletes have received invitations to join a series of
Regional and County squad coaching days which will involve some of the top Regional and National
coaches.
The athletes participating in theses coaching days are:
Regional
Bertie Lewis (hurdles)
County
Girls
Emily Sissons (hurdles), Letitia Rizan (throws), Mandy Watkinson (jumps), Suzi Cookson, Steph Poulson (jumps),
Katie Pontin (endurance)
Boys
Justin Lakey (jumps), Arland Craig (sprints), James Moorcroft (400/800), Michael Randall (endurance)
This represents another major step forward for the Team Kennet and something we will develop further during
2008 and beyond to ensure all our athletes have every opportunity to achieve to their maximum potential.
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 7
Sportshall
Match 1
The first match of the league was held at Eton on 11 November. Despite it being Remembrance Sunday,
which put a lot of sports onto the afternoon, the juniors produced excellent performances with depleted
teams. It was the girls that made the mark for the club: the under 11 girls team produced the shock result with
a superb second place, only four points behind Reading. The promising thing was that only one of the girls will
be moving out of the age group next year. The under 13 girls also matched this with a very strong Reading
side again on top. The B team finished 8th. The boys struggled as many athletes were unable to attend due
to football or rugby commitments. Both age groups A teams were placed fifth with Slough taking the
victories. The under 11 Boys B team were 9th.
Match 2
Team Kennet Athletes turned out in force on Sunday at Northcroft Leisure Centre in the Berkshire Indoor
Sportshall League Match Two. This was to be the decider, and with the club still in contention for three
trophies, it was vital athletes put in some good performances.
The under 11 girls were the surprise of the teams in the last match, and with three teams out from the club in
this age group, they were hopeful of overturning the last match results. It was a close match, but Team
Kennet A team came away with 3rd after winning the 2 lap race, the B team were just behind by 4 pts in 5th
place and the C team in 8th.
The final league table put Reading on top and Team Kennet in the credible position of runners up. The B
team finished 6th and the C team 10th overall.
The under 13 girls saw a very high club turnout again with 3 teams. Team Kennet produced some outstanding
results which was matched by all three of the Team Kennet teams. Alisha Bradford won the Chest push with
Michaela Day second and Katie Herbert third, all three girls representing different club teams. On the day,
the A team were second, just 10 points behind Reading. The B team were 4th and the C team 7th. The
overall league table saw Reading win once more, with Team Kennet runners up. The B team were 5th and
the C team 9th.
The under 11 boys were 5th after the last match and needed to make up ground to improve their placing.
They achieved this comprehensively with an excellent earned 3rd place on the day, with the B team 9th and
the C team 11th. Overall the A team moved up to 3rd place, the B team 9th and the C team 13th.
The under 13 boys saw a very powerful display of sprinting from Team Kennet and Slough. The 4 x 2 lap team
won this and took the 1 lap pairs as well. However, Team Kennet only had five athletes available to compete,
and with six needed to complete a team, a 5th place on the day and in the overall standings was a well
earned result.
The club had over 50 athletes present on the day and had the most teams entered in the whole league: a
great overall effort by the club and its coaches.
The remaining dates of the season are:


27 January
1 March
Maidenhead
Park House School
Page 8
Team Kennet Newsletter
Cross Country
We are now in the thick of the cross country season, and Team Kennet athletes have been putting in strong
performances across the age groups.
Oxford Mail
Two league matches have already been contested: Ascott-under-Wychwood on 4 November and Culham
Park on 2 December. The current team standings in the league are as follows:
Under 13 Boys
1 Oxford City
2 Swindon Har A
3 Abingdon A
4 Banbury A
5 Goring A
6 Newbury A
7 Bicester A
7 White Horse A
9 Cirencester A
10 Cherwell A
11 Radley A
11 Team Kennet A
13 Headington A
28
46
63
90
128
130
138
138
141
144
146
146
156
Under 13/Under 15 Girls
1 Oxford City A
24
2 Oxford City B
60
3 Radley A
62
4 Newbury A
120
5 Radley B
130
6 Goring A
135
7 Team Kennet A
146
8 Banbury A
171
9 Oxford City C
185
10 Abingdon A
186
11 Goring B
219
12 Radley C
225
13 White Horse A
245
14 Bicester A
257
15 Team Kennet B
296
16 Witney A
303
17 Abingdon B
323
18 Woodstock A
337
19 Headington A
354
Under 15/Under 17 Boys
1 Radley A
35
2 Team Kennet A
38
3 Newbury A
69
4 St Edwards Sch A 83
5 Abingdon A
131
6 Radley B
149
7 Witney A
158
8 StEdwards Sch B
179
9 White Horse A
188
10 Bicester A
203
11 Oxford City A
208
12 Swindon Har A
209
13 Banbury A
236
14 Abingdon B
239
15 Goring A
242
16 Newbury B
256
17 Blue Fin Tri A
297
U17/U20/Senior/Vet Women
Division 1
1 Team Kennet A
2 Headington A
3 Witney A
4 Cirencester A
5 Newbury A
6 Banbury A
7 Headington B
8 Oxford City A
52
71
112
115
120
145
162
180
Team Kennet’s Women’s B team are
currently lying in 20th place (out of 37
teams) in division 2 with 517 points.
Under 20/Senior/Vet Men
Division 2
1 Swindon Har A 649
2 White Horse A 925
3 Team Kennet A 1283
4 Alchester A 1321
5 Oxford City A 1355
6 Banbury A
2233
7 Headington C 2695
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 9
Match Reports
Match 1: Ascott-under-Wychwood (4 November 2007)
The Team Kennet ladies team produced one of the best results ever for the club, winning the first race of the
season outright. The ladies’ race had a record 154 finishers. Rachael Elliott led the team home in fourth place,
with Sue Francis in 10th and Helen Preedy just behind in 12th. Margaret Smith was first to score for the B team,
finishing as second W55. Newcomer Yasmin Anderson was 104th.
The U15/U17 boys team also had a great result, finishing second. Tom Milburn led the eight-strong team home
in 7th place, with Stephen Tucker just behind in 8th. Michael Randall finished 12th (4th U15). The B team were 9th,
with scorers Luke Conway, Aston Nicholls and Matthew Price finishing in 29th, 30th and 42nd respectively.
George Bumpass and Ross Whetter finished in 44th and 52nd, helping the C team to 20th position.
A huge turnout of 260 runners was witnessed in the men’s race. Mark Shepherd was first scorer for the team,
finishing in 19th position. Tom Munt, finishing as 5th V40, was just seven places behind Mark. Newcomer Nick
Weston managed a highly creditable 80th place, with Nick Bull close behind in 83rd place. James Moorcroft in
his first race over the longer distance finished in 123rd, Mark Pontin was 183rd, Colin Price 225th and Roger Davis
finishing in 233rd place bring the team home sixth in division 2.
Katie Pontin, Kate Metalli and Katie Herbert secured second place for the under 13/15 girls with finishes of 9th,
36th and 47th respectively. Amber Whetter and Emma Seymour finished in 51st and 54th respectively which
brought the B team home in 21st position. The under 13 boys finished in 7th place, with Nick Goodwin scoring
an individual 17th place and Adam Ridley finishing in 20th position.
Match 2: Culham Park
The conditions at Culham Park on 2 December were some of the worst ever witnessed in the Oxford Mail
League. The course is renowned to be the most difficult race of the season in the best of conditions, but
coupled with gale force winds, driving rain and flooding, the course resembled little more than carnage! This
wasn’t enough to deter Team Kennet athletes, with some excellent team performances across the board.
Newcomer Tom Uden put in a stunning debut performance in the under 11s race, finishing in fifth place. Seb
Bowden, also a new face to Team Kennet, finished in 20th position. The under 11 girls had an excellent team
packing at the front of the field, with Rhea Walter finishing in an excellent 2nd place, with Georgina Bradford
and Michaela Adams finishing closely behind in 4th and 7th place respectively. Carli Nicholls aided her team’s
performance by finishing in 42nd place.
Despite a relatively poor turnout in the boys’ under 13 race, Fraser Ashman managed a credible 22nd place.
There were more Kennet faces in the girls under 13/under 15 race, and some strong performances all round:
Katie Pontin brought the team home in 11th position, with Suzi Cookson finishing on her shoulder in 12th place.
Katie Herbert helped to win the first team sixth place by finishing in 31 st. In the second team, Katie Metalli,
Amber Whetter and Emma Seymour finished in 35th, 41st and 49th place respectively.
The under 15 and under 17 boys again put on a very strong show. Steven Tucker, who has been putting in
some stunning performances of late, finished in second place to take him to third overall in the league
standings. Michael Randall wasn’t far behind with a brilliant 1st position in the under 15 age group and gave
him first position in his age group for the year. Tom Milburn finished just behind in 5th place which,
unsurprisingly, propelled the boys to the top of the league. Aston Nicholls finished in 15th place – a finishing
position that would ordinarily have found a person scoring for their team.
In the senior mens’ race, Mark Shepherd had his highest ever finishing position in an Oxford Mail race,
finishing in an excellent 13th place in a field of over 200. The rest of the team packed well, with Nick Weston,
Ryan Morris, Iain Adams, Gavin McLaughlin, Bryn Stephens and Bart Kuijen finishing in 71st, 72nd, 81st, 99th, 101st
and 107th respectively.
Page 10
Team Kennet Newsletter
The senior women’s A team once again excelled at Culham and have successfully retained their place at
the top of the first division despite some stiff competition from Headington. Rachael Elliott ran well and,
despite just being pipped at the post to finish second overall, has climbed to joint first in the individual series
standings. Helen Preedy put in an excellent performance to finish in 10th place and Sue Francis wasn’t far
behind in a brilliant 12th place. Anne Dobson put in a gutsy performance to finish in as 5th U17 (35th overall)
and Rose Metalli and Margaret Smith both putting in strong runs to finish in 57th and 97th respectively.
The remaining matches of the season are as follows:
30 December 2007
3 February 2008
2 March 2008
Banbury
Cirencester Park
Horspath, Oxford
Full details of the league can be found on the internet at http://www.oxonxc.org/.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon Championships
The under 15 boys put in some excellent individual performance to secure the only team medal of the day.
Michael Randall ran an excellent race to finish in 4th place, and was helped by Luke Conway in 14th position
and Aston Nicholls in 20th position to the medal position. The strong team representation in this age group
didn’t stop here, however: Henry Crosby, Adam Jackson and Ross Whetter finished in 21st, 22nd and 26th
respectively to secure sixth position for the B team.
The only individual medal of the day was won by Rachael Elliott in the senior women’s race. Rachael won a
bronze medal in a very highly competitive race over the fast, flat course. The team was backed up by Helen
Preedy in an excellent 13th place and Nicola Cogdell in 45th. The team finished in 7th overall.
Stephen Tucker ran a blindingly quick race in finish in 4th place in the under 17 men’s age group, with Tom
Milburn not far behind in 10th. Matthew Price finished in 30th place to earn the team an excellent fourth place.
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 11
Katie Pontin managed a fantastic fourth place in the under 15 girls race, with Suzi Cookson taking 9th.
Tight packing in the U13 girls race meant that the A and B teams finished in sixth and seventh place.
Newcomer Micheala Day was 21st, Katie Herbert 22nd, Emma Seymour 24th, Amber Whetter 26th, Sophie
Conway 28th and Michaela Adams 31st. The U13 boys finished in 5th position. Samuel Randall was first home in
19th, with Tom Cogdell and Andrew Doublard close behind in 21st and 22nd place respectively.
the senior mens race saw over 100 finishers for the first time in 5 years. Mark Shepherd led the team home in
21st place with strong packing order from Iain Adams 47th, James Moorcroft 49th, Nick Bull 59th, Bart Kujiten
62nd and Dave Mitcham sealing the team home in 10th place. Other finishers were Mark Pontin who was
97th, Colin Price 100th and Roger Davis 105th.
Berkshire Championships
The Berkshire Cross Country Championships are being held on 5 January 2008 in Slough. All age groups are
supported at this event and the top finishers in each age group will be selected to run for Berkshire at the
prestigious CAU Intercounties Cross Country championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham on 15 March 2008.
James Moorcroft and Stephen Tucker running for Berkshire in last year’s Intercounties Championships.
Page 12
Team Kennet Newsletter
Multisports
Two junior members of the club, Aston Nicholls and Kate Metalli, have both excelled this season in multisports.
Their individual achievements are highlighted in the individual reports below:
Aston Nicholls
As a Tristar-3 (13/14years), Aston entered both the South West and South East Junior Series organised by the
BTA. The season started at the Dorset Triathlon in March with a very wet day that proved to be very tricky
when cycling in a muddy field with racing tyres! Aston finished second and gave credence to all that winter
training.
Travelling between Penzance and Dover meant many early starts, but due to the importance of completing
the required number of events for overall classification, there was no choice. At mid-way through the season,
Aston was 5th and 7th in the South West and South East respectively. Good results at Mounts Bay in the
Aquathon (4th), and a great performance at the Gloucester Tri (3rd) pushed Aston’s overall points tally
higher, and his positioning.
As with all athletes, maintaining 100% health and fitness is crucial, but we have to expect drops as illness and
exhaustion kick-in. This happened at a couple of events, resulting in lower than expected places at Dover
and Tewkesbury Triathlon’s. Undeterred, Aston upped his efforts and gave great performances at the
Crawley Triathlon and Aquathon, and Colehill Triathlon’s, finishing in 5th place at each event.
Other great performances at the Hamble Aquathon and Farnham Tri finished a good year in September.
Aston finished 4th in the South West and 5th in the South East.
In 2008, Aston will be a first year Youth entering varying Triathlon, Biathlons, Duathlons and Aquathons with a
focus of building on the hard work of this winter’s training, hoping to gain higher placing and progress his
multi-sport focus.
Colehill Dorset Triathlon
Bicester Aquathon
Bicester Triathlon
Farnham Triathlon
Mounts bay Aquathon
Gloucester Triathlon
Tewkesbury Triathlon
Colehill Triathlon
Crawley Triathlon
Crawley Aquathon
Hamble Aquathon
Thruxton Duathlon
Dover Triathlon
2nd
7th
10th
7th
4th
3rd
7th
5th
5th
5th
3rd
7th
10th
Katie Metalli
Katie won the gold for the second successive year at the British Indoor Rowing Championships in Birmingham
on 18 November. Katie is the first girl ever to collect both the J11 and J12 titles. Katie rowed an impressive
522m in two minutes to collect the title.
Katie further demonstrated her rowing prowess at the Reading Rowathlon in September. The event consisted
of a 2.5km row, a 7km bike and a 2.8km run. With no junior event taking place, Katie competed in the senior
event and finished fourth overall (first under 18) in a time of 38:58 (row 11:20; cycle 13:08; run 13:38).
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 13
Triathlon
2008 Championships
Based on feedback from the 2007 series, there have been some alterations made to the scoring system for
the 2008 series. The scoring system will be as follows:
Men
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th +
10 points
8 points
6 points
5 points
4 points
3 points
2 points
1 point
1 point
Women
1st
2nd
3rd
4th +
3 points
2 points
1 point
1 point
The points will be available irrespective of Team Kennet entrants at each race, and the races in the 2008
series will be the following (please note that the best five performances count. Races with dates TBC will be
confirmed closer to the time):
6 April
May
1 June
22 June
July (TBC)
Aug (TBC)
Sept (TBC)
Hungerford Fast Twitch Triathlon
Springfield Triathlon, Corsham
Beaulieu Middle Distance Triathlon, New Forest
Marlborough Fast Twitch Triathlon
City of Bath Triathlon
Concorde Triathlon, Bradfield
Cotswold Sprint Triathlon, Cotswold Water Park
Sprint
Sprint
Half Ironman
Sprint
Olympic
Sprint
Sprint
Results Round-up
We are currently in the “quiet season” for triathlon and, as such, there are few results to report. If any have
been missed, please email Rachael Elliott (rachael.elliott@gmail.com) to have your result included in the next
newsletter.
Littledown Triathlon
Despite taking a wrong turn on the bike course costing her around one minute, Rose Metalli still managed to
finish first in the 45-49 age group at the Littledown Triathlon in September. The triathlon, which incorporated a
400m swim, 19 mile bike and 4 mile run, was contested on busy roads in the Bournemouth area.
Southampton Triathlon
Rose Metalli also was the club’s sole representative at the Southampton Triathlon on 26 August. Rose again
managed first in her age group and was 8th woman overall in the competitive south coast event.
Page 14
Team Kennet Newsletter
Modern Pentathlon
In some of the club’s best news of the year, Margaret Smith scooped the gold medal at the National Triathlon
Championships after 16 years of near misses. Margaret has competed at the event since 1991 and has
picked up a silver medal on six occasions and a bronze on a further three occasions. Margaret finally earned
her victory in the modern pentathlon this year, scoring over 1000 points in the shoot, a 1:35.31 100m swim and
a 3:51 1000m run to make a total of 3,511 points. This meant a win in the masters class by over 600 points.
Even though the masters category weights competitors according to their age from 35 upwards, Margaret
would have won the category anyway without the age concession. A further demonstration of this
outstanding achievement.
Other Multisports
Competing at the same event as her daughter, Rose Metalli won a bronze medal at the British Indoor Rowing
Championships in Birmingham on 18 November. Rose clocked a personal best of 8:00.5 for 2kms to win the
medal.
Rose also competed at the Reading Rowathlon on 1 September and put in a highly impressive performance.
Rose rowed the 2.5km first leg in 10:28, the 7km bike leg in 12:07 and the 2.8km run in 12:35 to finish as first
woman overall.
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 15
Track and Field
Although we are out of the main track and field season, some Team Kennet members have put in some
brilliant performances since the publication of the last newsletter:




James Moorcroft broke the under 20 and senior club record for the 800m at Watford on 19
September, running 1:59.06 for the distance. James also broke the 400m club record at the Woking
Open Meeting on 2 September, running 50.28 for a gold medal.
Liam Sneath jumped 5.74m at the Woking Open Meeting on 2 September (a new PB) and reached
the final of the 200m, running a time of 24.78.
Justin Lakey cleared 1.80 in the high jump at the same meeting at Woking.
Katie Pontin has broken the U15 girls record for the 1500m, running a time of 4:54.41 – a time which
places her as the fastest in her age group in Berkshire.
Page 16
Team Kennet Newsletter
Road and Trail Running
Tadley Christmas Cross Country
The Tadley Christmas Cross Country was one of the club’s targeted races of the year. Four runners turned out
to the 5.3 mile event which is run by Tadley Runners.
Iain Adams was the club’s best performer on the day, finishing in an excellent tenth place in a time of 35:23.
Bart Kuitjen wasn’t far behind, clocking 37:05 for a finishing position of fifteenth. Dave Mitchum continued his
fast improving running performances with a time of 41:49 for 41 st place, with Martyn Maynard clocking 43:47
for 56th. Rose Metalli finished in 44:08 which gave her a fantastic first position in the W45 age group. Rog Davis
ran 47:59 to finish in 103rd position.
Tadley 10 Mile Race
Another popular race for the club this year was the Tadley 10 mile race, held by the same club as the
Christmas cross country event. The event was incredibly popular this year owing to it forming the race for the
UK 10 mile veteran championships. Bart Kuitjen was first home for Team Kennet with an excellent time of
68:04. Dave Mitcham finished in 83rd position, clocking a creditable 78:11 for the race. Rog Davis managed a
time of 83:47, finishing in 112th place and 28th in his age category.
Peasemore 5
Team Kennet were out in force at this new race on a tough, undulating course. Rose Metalli was first home
for the club, finishing in 37:02 – a time which won her second W45 and brought her home as tenth woman
overall. Colin Price finished in 41:33 for 103rd place, Sarah Chapman ran a highly credible 42:26 for 21st place,
and Liz Hawkins was close behind in 43:15. Colin Woodward finished in 49:20, tying with Laine McMichael for
154/155th place. Amanda and Keith Hatter both clocked 51:05 and Mary Baker 51:51 for 54th place.
Other Races
Mark Shepherd has also had a number of excellent races this season. Highlights include:
 Finishing eighth in a highly impressive time of 74:27 at the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough. Mark also
ran 75:14 at Gosport Half this season.
 Finishing well inside the top 100 finishers at the World 100km Championships at Winschoten in the
Netherlands on 8 September 2007. Despite having to deal with cramp problems and a shoe change,
Mark ran 8:17.21 to place him fifth in the United Kingdom at the event.
 Mark was first home at the Radley Lakes 10k in September, a multiterrain event that started and finished
at Tilsley Park in Abingdon. Mark clocked 36:21 to finish well ahead of the next competitor.
Rachael Elliott has been representing the club at road races throughout the UK and Europe since the
publication of the last newsletter. Highlights of her races include:
 Running on her first elite start at the Great South Run in October. Rachael lined up at the start line with a
number of famous athletes and finished in 29th position, clocking a time of 62:35 for the 10 mile race in
really quite atrocious weather conditions.
 Rachael broke her old half marathon PB to run 83 minutes at the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough,
finishing as seventh lady in the mass entry race. She has since broken her PB at the Gosport Half
Marathon, running 81:44 to finish as second lady in the competitive event on the south coast.
 New personal best times over 5k (18:00 at Bushy Park in October) and 10k (37:55 at the Andy Reading 10k
in December).
 Rachael continues to enjoy competing in trail races. Highlights include finishing as first lady (and third
overall) at the Hooky Christmas Canter race in December and winning first lady (and fourth overall) and
the Blackland Downs Challenge in Calne in November.
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 17
Events Calendar
Track and Field
March 2008
13 April 2008
26 April 2008
Radley Open Meeting. Date TBA.
Wessex Track and Field League
Southern Women’s League
Sports Hall
3 February 2008
1 March 2008
Maidenhead (under 11s)
Park House School (championships)
Cross Country
Oxford Mail Cross Country League
30 December 2007
3 February 2008
2 March 2008
Banbury
Cirencester Park
Horspath, Oxford
Other Dates
5 January 2008
26 January 2008
15 March 2008
27 March 2008
Berkshire Championships, Slough
SEAA XC Championships, Parliament Hill
Intercounties Cross Country Championships, Nottingham
Primary School XC Relays, Henwick
Page 18
Team Kennet Newsletter
Road Running
A number of members have asked for a list of local road running races coming up over the next few months:
26 December 2007
30 December 2007
Aylesbury 5km
Somerley 10km
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Ringwood, Hampshire
1 January 2008
6 January 2008
6 January 2008
6 January 2008
13 January 2008
13 January 2008
20 January 2008
20 January 2008
27 January 2008
27 January 2008
27 January 2008
Serpentine New Year’s Day 10km
Gloucester New Year 10 mile
Tadworth 10 mile
Goring, Woodcote and District 10km
Rough n Tumble 10 miles
Stubbington 10km
Not the Roman IX
Fred Hughes 10 mile
Slaughterford 9
Gloucester Marathon
Romsey 5
Hyde Park, London
Epney, Gloucestershire
Tadworth, Surrey
Goring, Berkshire
Wiltshire
Stubbington, Hampshire
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Wiltshire
Epney, Gloucestershire
Romsey, Hampshire
3 February 2008
10 February 2008
10 February 2008
17 February 2008
17 February 2008
24 February 2008
24 February 2008
24 February 2008
24 February 2008
Watford Half Marathon
Wokingham Half Marathon
Longleat 10km
Tough Ten
Meon Valley Plod 19.5
Winchester 10k
The Terminator
Goring 10km
Bourton 10km
Watford, Hertfordshire
Wokingham, Berkshire
Longleat, Wiltshire
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Hampshire
Winchester, Hampshire
Pewsey, Wiltshire
Goring, Berkshire
Bourton-in-the-Water, Gloucestershire
2 March 2008
2 March 2008
2 March 2008
2 March 2008
9 March 2008
9 March 2008
9 March 2008
9 March 2008
9 March 2008
16 March 2008
16 March 2008
16 March 2008
16 March 2008
16 March 2008
16 March 2008
16 March 2008
22 March 2008
30 March 2008
30 March 2008
Reading Half Marathon
Milton Keynes Half Marathon
Mad March 20
Gloucester 20
Silverstone Half Marathon
Finchley 20
Brentwood Half Marathon
Banbury 15
Devizes 10km
Fleet Pre-London Half Marathon
Bath Half Marathon
Eastleigh 10km
Forest of Dean Half Marathon
Stafford Half Marathon
Oakley 20
Cranleigh 21
Compton Downland Chall 20/40
Kingston Breakfast Run 8.2/16
Totton 10km
Reading, Berkshire
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Christchurch, Dorset
Epney, Gloucestershire
Silverstone, Northamptonshire
Finchley, London
Brentwood, Essex
Banbury, Oxfordshire
Devizes, Wiltshire
Fleet, Hampshire
Bath, Somerset
Eastleigh, Hampshire
Newnham, Gloucestershire
Stafford, Warwickshire
Oakley, Bedfordshire
Cranleigh, Surrey
Compton, Berkshire
Kingston, Surrey
Totton, Hampshire
If you would like entry forms for any of these road races, please contact Rachael Elliott on 07931 722817 or
rachael.elliott@gmail.com.
Team Kennet Newsletter
Page 19
CLUB CONTACTS
Chairperson
Nick Bull
Vice Chair
Scott Nicholls
Club Secretary
Dennis Tucker
Treasurer
Scott Nicholls
Membership Secretary
Elaine Knape
CRB checks
Alison Pontin
First Aid Officer
Vicky Bradford
Welfare Officer
Helen Shilton
Young/Senior Athletes
Nick Bull
Cross Country Secretary
Lorraine Croggon
Cross Country Senior Captain Vicky Adams
Sportshall Captain
Nick Bull
Road Running
Rob Findlay
Senior Triathlon
Iain Adams
Schools Liaison
Nick Bull
Junior Triathlon
Peter Metalli/Scott Nicholls
Officials Secretary
Paul Dyer
Promotional Secretary
Scott Nicholls
01635 31338
01635 41299
01635 862554
01635 41299
07979 366496
01635 820849
01635 528837
Hot Line Tel
01635 31338
01635 551627
01635 861656
01635 31338
01635 861656
01635 31338
01635 255433
07785 927371
01635 41299
TEAM KENNET
www.team kennet.com
P.O. Box 5990 , Newbury , Berkshire , RG14 2WX
TRAINING SESSIONS
Tuesdays
Sprints & Middle Distance & Throws Reps 6.15pm-7.20pm
Training for all abilities Parkhouse School
For ages 10 plus cost £1 per athlete
County Hurdles and sprint Training
At St. Nicolas School with Mark Hatton 6–7pm
Wednesdays
Main Junior club night Parkhouse School 6pm-7.30pm
Jumps & Throws Coaching Parkhouse School 7.30-8.30pm
Thursdays
Runs With Compton Harriers at the Institute in Compton 5m to 9m 6.20-8.00pm
Swimming at Kennet Leisure Centre 8.55–10.00pm
Sprint & Middle Distance Training 6.15-7.15pm
With Nick and Mark Shepherd at Henwick Playing Fields
Sprint/Hurdles County Level only Mark Hatton
St. Nicolas School 6pm-7pm
Saturdays
Cycling meet every other Saturday, Shaw Village Hall 9-11.30am approx