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