Medals for our U20/SEN's at the Southern indoors

Nowadays winter athletics is not all about cross country and many now take advantage of indoor events.

At the South of England championships for senior and under 20`s held at the Lee Valley Centre ten of our members were challenging for medals of which no fewer than seven proved to be successful.

It was gold for Ruby Vinton on the track taking the 800 metre title with a personal best of 2m 12.64s after a comfortable 2m 17.7s second place in the heats.

All of our other medals were to come from the field events with Alastair Brown leading the way taking the shot putt title with 14.94m.  It was to be silver for Sam Wright (U20) in the long jump - after placing fourth in the high jump with 1.85m, whilst Jessica Hopkins claimed second place in the shot putt with 14.73m. Sister Maegan (U20)placed third with 12.08m. There was also third places for Thomas Hewes with 2.06m in the high jump an Jack Hughes (U20) in the pole vault clearing 4.20m.

Other performances saw Nneke Okoh (U20) placing fourth in the 200 metres with 26.5s after a heat time of 26.78 whilst back to the field Grace Tremelling (U20) with 4.78m was seventh in the long jump.

Back to the seniors and Lewis Thorn won his 400 metre heat in 49.26s and also the semi final in 48.99s but failed to face the starter for the final. Strange this for two other qualifiers missed out leaving just three to contest which medal to win.

Report Written by Roy Meadowcroft

A Successful end to a Great Essex XC League Season

The final Essex league fixture of the season saw CAC coming out on top in four team placings with three individual wins. The seasons results gave us three team titles with seven individuals coming away with awards for being in the best three over the season in their age group. 

Let’s start with the under 13 girls having won at every venue since that first meeting in October. The squad has seen different scorers throughout the campaign such is our depth and here perhaps three of our top girls missing  who have gained medals in Essex and South of England championships. Here Francesca Phillips put in another great run to follow Brentwood`s Summer Smith home and deserves on her consistency take second award for the season. Lily Sanford came through 3rd, Beatrix Cooke 5th and Izzy Eida 6th - but having fine races in earlier meets collected the third award in the under 13`s with 13 points ahead of Sanford`s 15, Cooke 22 and Isla Kehoe 12th here but up to seventh for the campaign with 36 points.                   

The senior women`s team, comprising of three veterans here took the day`s honours but Colchester edged us out of the league title. Rebecca Luxton in great form placed second but comfortably took the over 40 year category award for the season. Rachel Broome finished 9th with Wendy King 10th another with an individual win for the season-first in the over 50`s. The scoring team was completed by Anna Nuttall being 22nd and another veteran. Despite her absence here Megan Williams had done sufficient in earlier meeting to clinch the award for second spot in the senior category.

Sadly a lack of numbers ruled us out of team placings. In the under 17`s Lucy Nuttall had a good race for second as did Emma Cox 5th. At under 15 level only Katie Cox 18th showed in our colours.

Best from the male section came from the under 15 boys keeping a 100% record. This has come from excellent team packing and again this was in evidence with Austin Kelly 7th, Josh Eida 8th, Jacob Parrott 9th and Ben Smith 11th the scorers. Backing up came from Thomas Carter 13th, Joseph Delaney 16th and Charlie Ryde 25th.                                               

For the under 17 men Jacob Hurrell led the field home with Archie Durham 7th and William Sweeney 8th - bringing a team score of 16 points behind Basildon`s 15.s.   Over the season however it was Chelmsford taking the league title ahead of Basildon. Our other athletes Dylan Robbins placed 16th and Fraser Hughes 26th.. For William Sweeney there was satisfaction - taking third award for the season.

In the under 13 boys Fred Ferman put in another fine run for second place which brought him into third for the season. Others here were Khaze Fakazi 16th, Sebastian Cooke 25th, Charles Jackson 26th and Thomas Burgoyne 29th.                               

Of the senior men, well where are they. Three veterans turned out Nick Hunter (over 40) 63rd, Peter Tullett (over 60) 119th and Mike Bridgeland (over 65) and picking up a second place award for the season.

So another Essex League season comes to an end.  I feel that I have some loyalty to this competition, elected as the club CC Secretary in 1953 we used to have fixtures with a single club resulting in drawn out fields where you could see many athletes isolated - hardly competitive. Although I have no record as to when  - but I guess late 1950`s or early 1960`s it was myself that instigated the league. Certainly most different then with just one race with six member clubs. By the time I took on the role of women`s team manager (all age groups -summer and winter= in mid 1970`s that number had grown as indeed the events with the under 13`s becoming the last groups added. For my first meeting I had as team manager there were only three members one under 13,Sonia Materkiviz, one under 15, Yvonne de Vries and one under 17, Deidre Riley. We  have come a long way since then

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Report Compiled and written by Roy Meadowcroft

Bossing it at the Southern XC Champs

Chelmsford Athletic Club - again amongst the medals with two team victories and a gold and bronze individual at the South of England cross country championships.

The under 17 men`s event had Sam Plummer taking the pole position and Joseph Grange just eight seconds down for third place. Close up Jacob Hurrell finished fifth and with Arthur Ballard 24th there was a comfortable team win with 33 points ahead of Norwich on 70. In reserve Gregory Martin`s 42nd place would still seen us taking the title.

Although just missing out on the individual medals the under 13 girls can claim to

have been the more dominant team. Brentwood`s Summer Smith has seen success

in all races at this age group over the season and again headed the field. Ava King

is also showing great form as her fourth place here testifies. With Heidi Woodley 9th

Erin Kelly 10th and Francesca Phillips 15th there 38 points put them ahead of

Aldershot for their second set of `gold's` have won the relay championship in the

Autumn. It should be noted that the next four CAC members - Lily Sanford 22nd,

Beatrix Cooke 39th, Isla Kehoe 46th and Orla Martin 52nd give a total of 159 points

which would have given the edge over Windsor`s 165 had the system used by Essex

been used.

Pick of other performances saw Ezrah Harrold placing 5th in the under 15 girls with

Daisy Stollery 10th, Hetty Harrison 68th and Katie Cox 140th. The team placing 7th

just ahead of local rivals Brentwood Beagles for whom Olivier Forrester was first home.

There was another fine run by Fred Ferman in the under 13 boys as he placed 6th.

with Khaya Fakazi 70th and Oscar Stollery 100th the team failed to close in.

It was likewise with the under 15 boys with Austin Kelly 25th and Joshua Eida 61st

our only competitors. Again we lacked a full team in the under 20 women where

Kiera Atkinson had a good run to place 7th with Sophie McCullum 31st and Sophie

McCall 82nd. We do finish off however with two further sixth places in the team stakes.

Kayleigh Atkinson 13th led the under 17 women home with Sienna Shipton 35th, Lucy

Nuttall 58th and Emma Cox 62nd. The under 20 men squad had William Nuttall 29th,

Joseph Perry 41st, Thomas Woodward 49th and Jacob Alexander 71st.

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Report written & compiled by Roy Meadowcroft