Our Southern Belle's do CAC Proud.

SOUTHERN COUNTIES CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS.

Rumour has it that somebody is planning a `Fort Knox` in Chelmsford as their girls keep on winning gold medals.  Yes- pity it`s not the precious metal.

This time the under 15 team took the title having claimed the under 13 event last year on this same course in the shadows of Wormwood Scrubs prison. The win was taken with a margin of eight seconds over the Windsor Slough and Eton team with Erin Kelly starting things off with a third placing. Ezrah Harrold now brought the green and gold colours to the fore and from here there was to be  no catching Jorjia March as she put in the fastest time of the race. In a meeting of this standard what a performance from the B`team. Ava King on the opening circuit surprised onlookers  as she  led the field home with a time which was eventually to prove third best of the race. With this start Lily Sanford and Francesca Phillips went on to take the bronze  medals. Worth mention that Hetty Harrison and Amelie Shipton occupied fifth place for a `C` team but alas no third runner.

At under 17 age level medals were just missed out with their fourth place held throughout the event via Lottie Wilkin, Harriet Matthews and Sienna Shipton. Good showing also by Jessica Walker and Niamh Roberts but alas no third athlete to finish it off.

For the under 13`s Isla Kehoe on the opening stage came in third a position held by Orla Martin on lap two. Beatrix Cooke put in a respectable time to finish fifth.

Just seven days prior the under 13 boys lifted the Essex title, Here however only one athlete Mason Sanford turned out but what a run he came out with. Obviously it had to be the opening stage and here he came through with a time which could not be matched by any other during the three stages.

Despite winning the Essex titles a week earlier the under 15 and 17 boys had also opted out here.  

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Report written by Roy Meadowcroft.

Gongs Galore at the Essex XC Relay Champs.

ESSEX CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS Staged at Weald Park, Brentwood, provided CAC with the proverbial hat full of medals including five sets of that precious metal, four of which came from the male side of the club.

Good to see the senior men claim one of these as Ethan Reilly (21.06), Tom Rehal (20.45), Zack Bridgeland (21.06) and Greg Martin (21.04) finished 36 seconds up on Colchester Harriers with Southend placing third.  Our `B` team comprising of veterans Sebastian Cirillo, David Fewell, Will Parrott and former Essex 400 metre champion Marcus Hunt finished 10th. The under 17 men via Joshua Eida (10.34), Jacob Hurrell (9.20) and Austin Kelly (10.31) gave them a victory over Havering by 18 seconds with Basildon a distant third. The under 15 boys team with Fred Ferman (10.53), Joe Delaney (10.37) and Jacob Parrott (10.53)  gave them the title  an advantage of 26 seconds over Southend with Brentwood third. Our `B` team of Oscar Stollery, Dan Pollard and Luke Wright finished in seventh position.  In the under 13 boys it was again Chelmsford taking the title with Mason Sanford, Thomas Burgoyne and Joshua Dalton comfortably ahead of Southend by more than  a minute with Basildon third. Wrapping up the male side in the veterans over 50 year class Dave Tullett, Peter Waite and Lee Martin took second place behind Ilford  with Southend third.

The senior women`s event provided Chelmsford with their final win as Rachel Broome (25.17), Jodie Judd (25.19) and Megan Williams (24.35) triumphed over Colchester Harriers, Our `B` team of Lucy Nuttall, Sophie McCall and Molly Drane placed sixth, the junior girls and it was to be second places all the way as they had to concede to the Brentwood Beagles who have certainly come a force the past two seasons. In the under 13`s Isla Kehoe (12.24), Beatrix Cooke (13.28) and Georgia Matthews (12.44) took the silver medals as did the  under 15`s with Lily Sanford (11.48), Erin Kelly (11.48) and Ava King (11.27), and in this class bronze medals came to CAC via Isabella Eida, Francessca Phillips and Hetty Harrison showing the depth of the squad. In the under 17`s Sienna Shipton (12.09), Harriet Matthews (12.08) and Daisy Stollery (11.21) again placed second.        

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Report written by Roy Meadowcroft.

A Great Start to the 24/25 Essex XC League Season.

In the first of the Essex Cross Country League season staged in the Hainault Forest, Chigwell. It was our  senior women`s team which excelled as they put their scoring four inside the top ten finishers. Rebecca Luxton led the team home with her first place with Megan Williams following her through in second place. With Rachel Broome 7th and Lucy Nuttall 10th this brought a total score of 20 which put them comfortably ahead of Havering and Orion Harriers. Sophie McCall, like Lucy still in the under 20 age group, placed 15th. Rebecca`s performance also set the veterans team to success with Wendy King, first over 50, and Laura Durn 26th the others scoring whilst Anne Nuttall was well placed in reserve being 27th

The senior men`s race also brought another win for Chelmsford. After relegation last term it looks promising that there will be a quick return from division two. One must point out that this success was despite having only one senior turning out with Zack Bridgeland placing fourth. Now it was the veterans completing the task with Will Parrott 30th, Peter Waite 42nd, Lee Martin 64th, Peter Tullett 115th and Mick Bridgeland 169th from the field of 230 finishers.

There was also a win for the under 17 men with in form Jacob Hurrell taking pole position with Austin Kelly 7th and Joshua Eida 9th completing the scoring trio whilst Thomas Carter 12th and Ben Smith 13th were also in the running.

For the under 15 boys it was to be third place behind Basildon and Brentwood. Jacob Parrott had led this team with his third place with Joe Delaney 8th, Luke Webb 21st and Daniel Pollard 33rd.  For the under 13 boys it was to be a sixth place as they were led home by Joshua Dalton 3rd with Thomas Burgoyne 10th, Jake Boarer19th and Charlie Jackson 31st.

With this meeting clashing again with the National relays the Chelmsford team`s were lacking support although such is the depth of under 15`s they were still to take second place behind Brentwood. Here Francesca Phillips placed 3rd with Isabella Eida right behind her. Emma Pickering placed 10th with Stephanie Smith 21st. Emma Cox our only under 17 placed 5th in that age group whilst we had to miss out in the under 13`s due to those races at Birmingham,

Although not part of the league races are organized for under 11 year and Chelmsford were well represented. In the boys result Jacob Smithyes finished in 4th place with Arthur Cooke hard on his heels. Toby Hall 12th, Henry Ball 16th all placed in the top half of the field.  Leila  Robinson had a great race to finish second with Bella Kehoe 4th,  Hannah Hogben 6th,  Bailey Kehoe 30th and Olivia Bilby 36th.

Report written by Roy Meadowcroft