Bucks Schools Cross Country Championships

Hughenden Park, High Wycombe

Wednesday 22nd February 2012

Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Steve Perkin

Many Chiltern Harriers youngsters took part in the Bucks Schools Cross Country Championships at Hughenden Park, High Wycombe on Wednesday 22nd, with much success.

On a drizzly, cool, grey afternoon the athletes had a very good, firm running surface to work with and there were several victories for Chiltern athletes, and many were selected for the Bucks Schools squads that will compete in the English Schools Championships in Somerset in March.

The earliest races featured children in Years 5 and 6. In the girls race a Chiltern trio made the early running and it was Robyn Watkins who pushed on in the second half of the race to secure victory on the tough, hilly 2k course.

At school in Berkshire, Robyn ran as a guest so it was second placed Sandie Pohlman who picked up the gold, with Lily Pearson collecting silver. There were also good runs from Magda Rospedzihowska in seventh, Hannah West in ninth, Olivia Houlihan-Burne in 12th, and Amber Hitchcock in 17th. As the organisers awarded separate medals to those in year 5, Hannah West ended up with the Year 5 gold.

In the boys Year5/6 race Ben Smith raced away from the start and just kept going. He won by a large margin with Cameron Reid in third. Ollie Powell was sixth, Tom Hunter seventh, Finley Davis 12th, Harry Brandon 15th, Tommy Taylor 17th, and Redford Denson 18th. Ben won Year 5 gold, Cameron Year 5 silver and Ollie Year 6 silver.

The Minor girls (Year 7) race saw a thriller with Orla Fawcett and Lizzie Barraclough unable to be separated at the finish, both awarded gold. Maddy Lacey ran well to be sixth.

The Minor boys saw Theo Kontos run well for silver. Alex Ahern was fourth, Jack Murray eighth, and Calum Steer ninth. Angus Denison-Smith didn’t run due to a knee niggle.

The subsequent Junior, Intermediate and Senior races acted as selection races for the Bucks Schools teams to run in Somerset on March 17th in the English Schools Championships.

The Junior girls saw a win for Hannah Morton with Hannah Thear and Katie Bench fifth and eighth. Amy Fawcett in 11th and Sophie Chesterman in 12th also received letters to include them in the county squad, with eight to run in the English Schools Champs.

The Junior boys race saw a battle between Sam Henning and Bill Hughes only for Bill to suffer with a stitch towards the end of the race. Sam was the winner, Bill holding onto third with Will Perkin fifth and Rob Hall sixth. Jack Denton was 10th and Fred Sanders 11th and also having good runs were Freddie Burrell (22nd), Jonny Stenning (23rd) and Richard Slade (24th).

The Intermediate and Senior girls ran together and amazingly it saw a win for first year Inter, Connie Lewis, running assuredly away from an experienced field. Emma Barraclough ran well to be 10th.

Likewise the Inter and Senior boys ran simultaneously with, in the Inters, Joe Aherne, fourth, and Elie Bou-Gharios, seventh, having great runs. Also towards the head of the field were Sam Butcher, 11th, and Joe Cochrane, 12th. James McCarthy didn’t run due to illness. In the Seniors George Gillingwater was seventh, Ben Hall, tenth and Jack Dutton, back to running after a long break, fourteenth.