Report from the recent County Schools XC Championships

Apologies if we have missed your name out – there are so many talented youngsters out there competing!

Somerset Schools Championships Saturday Feb 6^th

With over 25 junior Club members competing there were some great results for Wells City Harrier athletes at the Somerset Schools Cross Country Championships held this past Saturday at Taunton Race Course. In the youngest age group for Year 7 boys, Minor Boys, over a distance just short of 3000m, the Club’s Luke Prior won the Minor boy’s race in 11.04 over his nearest rival from Taunton by some 15 metres. Luke has recently been putting in some good training and it is now paying off. In the Minor Girls race for Year 7s over 1950m, Marissa Stevenson was 3^rd home in a time of 6.54 with Alexa James 21^st in 7.50 in the field of 40 runners.

In the next age group up for year 8 & 9 boys, Junior Boys, over 3,500m, Oliver Fox was 2^nd boy overall (1^st Year 8) in an excellent time of 12.49 just beaten to the line by Ben Hawkins from the Taunton area. Oliver’s Club team mates Matthew Dickinson and Philip Bridge were 3^rd and 4^th in the same race in 13.01 and 13.20. Matthew has only just started training with the club this past three or four months having been encouraged to occasionally miss his rugby training to work on his endurance running with the Club. Next in from the Harriers training groups was Charlie Martin in 13.34 for 9^th place. Two other members of the Harriers cross-country squad, James Todd and Tom Jones also finished well for 18^th and 33^rd places.

In the Year 8 & 9 Junior Girls, races the Club’s Emily Smith finished in 2^nd place in 11.14 behind Holly Brown from Taunton, with Club-mates Abigail Gibbons and Rebecca Carver in 4^th and 5^th places in 12.02 and 12.06. Jemma Jones was next in from the Harriers in 11^th place in 12.35, and then Ellie Kirwan in 32^nd place with 14.03.

In the Intermediate Boys races, for Years 10 & 11, over 5,200m, Sam Bedford was 2^nd in 18.22 with fellow Harriers George Harris 5^th in 19.16, Freddie Whittaker 11^th in 19.48, Reuben Whitcombe 19^th in 21.13, and Sam Harding 23^rd in 21.35. Sam (Bedford) and Freddie were part of the victorious Mendip area team in this age group. In the Intermediate Girls race, over 3,500m, a quartet of the Club’s cross-country team ran well. Jess Wood was 2^nd in 14.55, Jess Potter, 6^th in 15.26, with Rosalie Dowding 14^th in 17.04 and Esme Sheridan running well for 17^th in 17.26.

In the Senior Boys race for the u19 boys, Alex Wiltshire was 5^th and John Richardson 6^th in 26.10 and 26.47 respectively. Alex picked up a County team winners award as he was running for Taunton area schools/colleges. The Senior girl’s races over 3500m saw Lizzie Hart in 3^rd and Leighanna Chappell in 4^th in 14.33 and 15.35.

Dorset Schools XC Championships

& not to forget the great running by our team members at the Dorset Championships held on Thursday Feb 4^th

Annabel Arnold ran really well for 2nd place in the Minor Girls race in a time of 7.26. Siobhan Stewart finished in the same place in the Inter Girls race in 15.49, with Lauren Willows not far back in 7^th place in a time of 16.19, despite only just getting over some illness.

WELL DONE ALL – that’s a completely different course compared to Parliament Hill!

The next cross country fixture up for the juniors and seniors in the Club will be this Saturday’s match at Brecon in the 4^th of the season’s Gwent XC League where the Harriers are once again competing to be top Junior Club from the 30 clubs competing. The minibus leaving from Millfied school will depart at 8.30am. Contact Paul on 01749 812420 to book your place and confirm that you are going. Contact Annette or Geoff to confirm if you want a space on the minibus going from Yeovil

The Harrier’s usual training sessions on a Monday and Tuesday evening at Millfield track welcome new youngsters and adults for both track and field training in preparation for the coming season, as well as endurance training. Please see website for further information.