Several of our members took part in the North Yorkshire Schools Cross Country Championships that were held at Tadcaster Grammar School. Dave Paver and his enthusiastic band of helpers organised a great event that was held on the rolling playing fields of the school as school runners from across the county tried to earn coveted county vests at the English Schools Championships that are held in March.
In the Junior races Lottie Langan continued her excellent cross country season by winning the girls race by 13 seconds which was a great run given that Lottie is in the bottom year of the age group. In the boys race in the age group Lucas Stabler (4th) narrowly got the better of Louis How who came 5th. In the intermediate age group, Joe O’Brien continued to show a liking for cross country as he came 2nd just 7 seconds behind the winner. Tommy Shaw came 5th and Luca Mastrolonardo 7th in the same race. In the girls race in the age group Inez Khaddi came 6th. In the senior races Archie Lawson came 6th and Toby Antcliff 8th in the boys race whilst Holly Moss came 7th in the girls version. In the Year 7 races Isaac Stabler came 1st, 3 seconds ahead of Josh Sandwell.
Several members of University of York AC travelled to Leeds to take part in the Varsity match between the Universities in Leeds to determine who will run in the A team at the BUCS cross country championships in 2 weeks time. Alex Doyle was the leading runner from York University in 7th place, one place ahead of Edward Buck with George Phillips being next home from the University in 14th. After the dry, fast running at Tadcaster on Saturday, cross country changed to hills and mud for the PECO at Harrogate on Sunday. The toughest course to confront the young age group for a long time. Ours had been well warned, and approached it very sensibly and calmly. And for a club based in a flat area, our runners did exceptionally well.
The Under 11 race saw Daniel Campbell and Daniel Kennedy pulling steadily away from the field of over 200 runners, with Daniel C narrowly winning on the steep uphill finish. We also had Charlie Blades in 11th in his first cross country. The girls standard, at the front and in depth, in this age group is very high, with many West Yorks League leaders running as guests. Lucy Gilbertson was 5th, Aimee Keefe 9th, Emma Hutton 12th, Nina Hopkins 15th, Sophie Williams 17th, Kate Setchell 18th, Tabitha Speight in her first cross country 24th, Emily Rycroft 30th out of the 115 girls.
The secondary age had to run 2 laps of that, about 2.3 miles with 320ft of ascent. And mud. Lottie Langan, who won at Tadcaster on the dry flat the previous day, excelled at the other end of the scale to win an amazing uphill sprint against an athlete who was 3rd in Yorkshire Championship in the age group older than Lottie. Also great runs for Amy Kennedy 3rd girl, Laura Brooks 7th girl, and William Keens 14th overall in the field of 100 mostly older athletes.
Our only senior, Donna Gold, had a good run on the extremely tough and tricky course which was even muddier than the junior course.
10 members of the club ran parkrun on a cold Saturday morning with George Summerson being fastest with 19.53 at Heslington.