ASHFORD pole vaulter Maria Newton overcame all sorts of hurdles to take her first Masters gold as a veteran winning the W35 pole vault at the National Veterans Indoor championships in Glasgow.

Newton, who competes for Medway and Maidstone and is the Kent Indoor title holder, was a bit disappointed with 2.60m

But she was pleased to land her first medal as a veteran after travelling on the night of the championships and experiencing problems with her pole and run-up that nearly led to a no-score.

She is working on a new Bubka technique and is aiming to get back over the 3.20m mark this year. She has a personal best of 3.40m.