We will start this week’s round up with a home game as the club hosted this years’ renewal of the Midland Counties Cross country Relays. A huge amount of work went into hosting the event in the week leading up to the races themselves on Saturday and Adam Guy, as race director, and his team deserve great credit for hosting such a large event, as do Noel McKakly who was Meeting Manager and Glen Lock, as Race Referee in their official capacities.
The club were amongst the medal with the U13 boys taking gold in a total time of 35.27, with Rocco Hawley running the fastest leg of 11.34, Theo Ulfig 11.55 and Seb Palmer 35.27 to take gold. An incomplete team were placed 3rd with Harry Monkton clocking 12.31 and Nahum Worrall 13.12. The U13 girls placed 2nd in 44.18 with Biba Guest running 13.47, Phoebe Bridgen 14.13 and Amiyah Pal 16.17.
There was another gold medal in the U15 boys class with Noah Homer making his club debut running 11.11, Fred Jones clocked 10.28 and Will Hughes 10.48 to record a total time of 32.18. An incomplete team of just Lucas Fullwood ran 12.25. The U15 girls team bagged a silver medal with a total time of 41.07 with Kiki Guest recording 13.05, Erin Mia Nash 13.50 and Maisie Roberts 14.12. There was also an incomplete team of Alice Cattell who ran 14.36 and Clara Butler-Montero 15.29. The U17 men were one short of a team and a possible medal with Aryan Pal running 12.46 and Serge Guy 13.25 but the U17 women pocketed a silver medal with a total time of 41.52 with Ronni Read stopping the clock in 12.28, Megan White 15.34 and Scarlett Willoughby 13.50.
There were plenty out in the seniors and masters categories with the club boasting 11 teams in bother genders. The Seniors Mens A team were 11th in 1.30.54 with Dan Turner clocking 22.02, James Neilson 21.12, Steve Newman 23.43 and Tom Pryor 23.53. The B team were 19th in 1.40.08 with Alex Kelly running 25.16, Joe St Quinton 24.37 on a comeback from injury, Paul Dean 25.34 and Joe Flatley 24.39. The senior women placed 7th in 1.20.13 but could have been amongst the medals if not for a couple of mishaps of leg 2 with their runner held back unnecessarily and then going out for an incorrect 3rd lap rather than be directed towards the finish. Isobelle Jones recorded the fastest time on her senior debut and was unmatched in 21.53, Veronika Foster ran 30.52 and Maria Calleia ran 27.27.
The Masters Womens A team were within seconds of a medal finishing in 4th place in 1.19.07 with Lucie Tait-Harris running 25.38, Sabrina Thomas 28.46 and Vicki Mackay running 24.42. The B team were 10th in 1.34.57 with Emily Simmonds recording 30.09, Vanessa Landreau Barnes 30.42 and Anna Moore 34.05 and the C team were 17th in 1.58.33 with Danni Braine running 34.53, Julia Condon 41.23 and Imogen Harley 42.17. And there was a silver medal for the Masters Men with Jon Hart running 20.56, Luke Maskew 21.44, Gary Worrall 22.40 and Tom Isherwood 21.41 for a total time of 1.27.03. The B team were 6th in 1.35.10 with Ben Foster running 23.06, Derrick Milligan 24.49, Ashley Atkinson 23.59 and Paul Marson 23.15. The C team were 12th in 1.43.07 with Adam Guy running 26.27, Dave Newport 25.53, Ben Pilsbury 25.29 and Danny Malone 25.17. The D team were 16th in 1.53.57 with Mark Illidge running 28.24, Paul Clarke 28.00, Andy Dyall 27.57 and Dave Norman 29.25, and the E team placed 21st in 2.02.44 with Darren Owen-Jones clocking 30.08, Lee Partridge 30.40, Rob Edwards 29.36 and Russ Blair 32.19.
There was more cross country action at the West Midlands Schools County Trial at Himley Hall. I apologise if I miss anyone here as athletes are listed by area not club. Kaleah Moulder was 21st in 12.30 and Gracie Billett 26th in 12.44 in the Junior Girls, years 8 & 9 race over 2.5k.
And we were off the country and onto the tarmac 24 hours later for the Bridgnorth 10k where Tom Isherwood doubled up, having bagged a medal on Saturday he just missed out on a podium place on Sunday finishing inn a highly creditable 4th in 36.08.
Dave Norman