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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Gary Mitchell and Steve Perkin |
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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Gary Mitchell and Steve Perkin |
Chiltern Harriers completed the autumn relay season in great style with two medals at the National Cross Country Relay Championships at Mansfield on Saturday.
The Under 13 boys added to their silvers at the Southern Road Relays at Aldershot and bronzes at the National Road Relays at Birmingham with further bronzes at a soft and muddy course at Berry Hill Park. The Under 13 girls finally gained bronze medals for third place after fifth place at Aldershot and fourth at Birmingham.
The boys race was led off by Joe Cochrane who suffered in a congested start but battled through to bring the team home in 15th place in a time of 7.22 on the 2K circuit common to all the younger age group races. James McCarthy ran a great leg of 7.18 to bring the team up to fourth and Bill Hughes, with 7.22, edged up one place overall to bring the home in a comfortable third from the 74 complete teams. The B team also had very good runs. Sam Butcher led off in 7.26 with Andrew Stenning running 7.28 on leg 2 and Toby Jones finishing the race strongly in 8.12, a good time after sparse training recently, to finish in a very respectable 21st place.
The girls were led off by Connie Lewis, victim of a recent cold, who nevertheless ran the seventh fastest lap of the day in 7.39 to bring the team in fourth place. Hannah Morton ran maturely again with an 8.03 leg to pull up to second place at the end of the second lap. Four teams battled fiercely for the medals in the final lap and Rosalind Firth ran the race of her life to finish third from the 81 complete teams in a brilliant time of 7.47. Also running in the girls race were Claudia Jones, Claire Buttivant, Isabel Heinel and Amy Buttivant who all enjoyed their first taste of national competition.
The Under 15 boys had a solid outing and came back with a very good tenth place from the 87 teams competing. Jack Dutton led off and despite being spiked, brought the team in tenth at the end of the first lap in a time of 6.43. George Gillingwater ran 7.06 on the second leg to come in 12th spot and Michael Goddard ran 6.47 on the final lap to regain tenth place. The B team of Jack Walker (7.07), Jimmy Davies (7.22) and Liam MacDonald (7.39) finished in 48th place and Ben Whitney ran as the sole C team runner in a strong 7.14.
The Under 15 girls, all first years, also put together a good series of runs to come home in 38th place from 77 complete teams. Ellie Jones (8.03), Amy Harris (8.13) and Alice Heinel (8.28) comprised the team which shows good potential for next year.