Just when I thought the cross country season was over for another year another one crept up on me. A small group from the club travelled to Prestwold Hall again in Leicestershire for the Primary Schools National Cross Country and as in previous weeks it was sticky and unpleasant underfoot, at least leading up to the course from the car park. Rocco Hawley was an excellent 9th in 10.07 and Theo Ulfig placed 80th in 11.11 in the Year 5 Boys race, and Lila Pearce was a fantastic 3rd in 9.16 in the Year 5 Girls race. In the Year 4 Boys race Cameron Guest placed 21st in 7.18 and in the Year 3 Girls and Boys combined race Alba Jones finished in 5.38 in a superb 3rd position.
Also, over the country there were international vests for the family with both Fred and Isobelle Jones on Saturday pulling on the England colours in the SIAB International Cross Country at Sefton Park in Liverpool. Fred placed 7th in 12.33 in the Junior Boys event, and Isobelle was 2nd in 13.22 in the Intermediate Girls race.
Isobelle was in action again twenty-four hours later in the Mini Marathon Trials race at Stourport coming home in 1st place covering the 2.6k distance in 8.26 in the U17 ladies race. There was another for the club for James Neilson in the U17 mens race, his winning time 7.57, and Zakari Sandhu-Whitton placed 12th in 8.38. In the U15 Boys race Oscar Davis placed 3rd in 8.01, Jack Stockton was 8th in 8.42, and in the U15 Girls race Megan White was 4th in 9.29, Ronni Read 8th in 9.43 and Scarlett Williams was 10th in 10.15. There was another win In the U13 Boys race with Sam Ball crossing the line in 8.28 and Will Hughes chasing him home in the runners up spot in 8.53. And in the U13 Girls race there was a 13th place finish for Lucy Horton in 10.08.There was further action on the tarmac in the Wolverhampton 10k with Ashley Atkinson coming home in 20th in 36.51, Dylan Illidge placed 27th in 37.03, Danny Malone was 30th in 37.53, Ben Pilsbury placed 57th in 38.49, Rob Edwards 114th in 44.57, Danni Braine 183rd in 47.50, Robert Fellows 367th in 52.54 and Mary Solomon was 1057th in 1.03.48. And at the Ironbridge Half Marathon there was a 22nd place finish for Derrick Milligan in 1.30.10, Lesley Stamps was 311th in 2.07.37, Balvinder Kaur placed 464th in 2.31.15 and Leny Hall was 468th stopping the clock in 2.33.18.
Dave Norman
