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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Steve Perkin and Gary Mitchell More Photos on Gary Mitchell website |
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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Steve Perkin and Gary Mitchell More Photos on Gary Mitchell website |
Chiltern Harriers made steady progress at the second Apex Sports Chiltern League fixture at Wigmore Valley Park in Luton on Saturday, finishing in fifth place on the day but maintaining third spot overall.
In cool but pleasantly sunny conditions, the races were fast over a firm and flat, well-drained course.
The younger age groups again achieved the main successes. The first race saw the Under 11 girls reach third place with Claire Buttivant, eighth, Hannah Thear, ninth, and Lizzie Barraclough, tenth, being the scorers.
The Under 11 boys race had a large field of 74 finishers and the Chiltern boys again excelled with Will Perkin a comfortable winner, Robert Hall second and David Willcox fifth scoring big points for the team. Angus Denison-Smith, recovering from a cold, came ninth and Sam Henning ran well on debut to be tenth.
In the Under 13 girls race Connie Lewis again showed her strength to win in great style and Rosalind Firth, fourth, Hannah Morton, fifth, and Emma Barraclough, eleventh, were the other scorers. The team were again victorious against some strong clubs. Georgie Bingham ran very well on debut to be 22nd from the 70 finishers in the Division 1 field.
Despite missing key runners James McCarthy and Bill Hughes, the Under 13 boys team gained victory thanks to great runs from Sam Butcher, fifth, Andrew Stenning, seventh, Joe Cochrane, ninth, and Joe Aherne, 18th. Callum Neal also ran well to be 20th.
The Under 15 girls were missing several strong runners but scored useful points with Amy Harris, 28th, Alice Heinel, 31st, Sophie Hart, 47th, and Hannah Wardley, 50th.
The close contest in the Under 15 boys league continued with Jack Dutton, fourth, Michael Goddard, ninth, George Gillingwater, 14th, and Jack Walker, 19th finishing in second place behind Bedford and ahead of Windsor. The boys thus maintain second place in the league. Will Fletcher was the sole Under 17 representative and had an improved run to be 19th in the Under 17 men's race.
The seniors had a mixed day. The women were led home by Sian Thomas in 12th, with Ali Young, 15th, Judith Orr, 22nd and Barbara Ralph, 39th completing the scoring to finish fourth team overall. Ali, Judith, and Barbara were joined by newcomer Caroline Holden as the victorious women's veterans team.
The men were a disappointing ninth in their race with many key runners absent. Matt Bennett ran well to be tenth and Eddie O'Gorman was 16th. Kingsley Nanton, 51st, Alex Shelley, 69th and an injured John Taylor, 97th, were the only other Chiltern men in the top 100.
With two matches down in the five match series, Chiltern still lie in third place overall, and the next fixture is at Upton Court Park in Slough on December 5th.