Silver medal winning Under 13 boys Will Perkin, Fred Sanders and Sam Henning. |
Bronze medal winning Under 15 boys Michael Goddard (winner of fastest lap), Joe Aherne, and James McCarthy. |
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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Steve Perkin |
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Chiltern Harriers had a good range of athletes at the inaugural SEAA Cross Country Relay Championships at Wormwood Scrubs on Saturday.
In an event where there was participation by fewer clubs than usual for a regional championships, Chiltern Harriers bagged two medals - silver in the Under 13 boys and bronze in the Under 15 boys - as well as fourth for the Under 13 girls and fifth for both Under 15 girls and Under 17 men. The senior women's team finished a very creditable twelfth.
The Under 17 men's event over legs of 3K was the first race featuring Chiltern runners and the threesome of George Gillingwater (11.52), Jack Walker (12.03) and Liam MacDonald (12.32) did well to finish in fifth spot against some good calibre opposition. George had the ninth fastest time of the day.
The Under 13 girls were next with an impressive three complete teams. A fall at the start hampered in-form Hannah Morton for the A team but she recovered well to come home fourth in 7.54 on the 2K circuit. Hannah Thear gained a place running 8.19 on the second leg but Georgie Bingham, despite a good leg of 8.09, could not fend off a strong run from the Aldershot athlete on the third leg.
Katie Bench struggled with stomach cramps on the first leg for the B team (8.55) and Amy Fawcett (8.37) and Claire Buttivant (9.14) completed the team that came 17th. The C team was made up of debutants at this level and they all acquitted themselves well - Abi Jones (9.22), Kathryn Thornton (10.02) and Katie McCartney (9.12) all gaining good experience and finishing in 26th.
The Under 13 boys were next up, again over 2K, and Sam Henning did a great job on the first leg to come home fourth against many clubs top runners. His time of 7.22 was fourth fastest of the day. Will Perkin made up a place on the second leg with 7.35, ninth fastest of the day, and Fred Sanders one more in a time of 7.42 to finish in clear second - a great effort from three first years in the age group. The B team featured another first year David Willcox on first leg (8.08) and two Year 6 boys, Theo Kontos (8.02) and Calum Steer (8.17), on the second and third. They all had good runs to finish in 15th place.
The Under 15 teams also ran 2K and the boys were led off by Michael Goddard who had a great run to bring the team home in the lead after the first leg. His time of 6.34 was fastest leg in the Under 15 race. Joe Aherne lost a place to a strong Tonbridge runner on second leg in 7.08 and James McCarthy (7.01) one more to a good Aldershot runner on the third but bronze medals in a race of this calibre was a fantastic effort. The B team of Jimmy Davies (7.30), Callum Neal (7.30) and Joe Cochrane (7.37) finished 14th.
The Under 15 girls were missing several big names so the fifth place gained by Hannah Wardley (8.22), Amy Harris (8.22) and Maria Slade (8.59) was a superb result.
The senior women had one team out and Ali Young (13.43), Jenni Coxon (13.25), and Sarah Caulfield (16.27), who was coming back from a long lay off due to injury, did well over a 3K course to come home in 12th place.