Herne Hill Harriers U13 boys collect team silver at South of England Cross Country Championships
Herne Hill Harriers’ U13 boys claimed team silver medals at the South of England Cross Country Championships in Beckenham Place Park, writes Geoff Jerwood.
Serial race winner Caspian Holmes had to settle for eighth on this occasion, but led home a strong quartet which also included Lucas Heath (28th), Edward Cunniffe (30th) and Luca Boulton (45th).
The boys go into February as the Surrey League age group leaders and will challenge for medals at the National Cross Country Championships later in the month.
The senior women have also enjoyed a strong season and even when missing five team regulars their squad depth still won them sixth team position, only a dozen points shy of winning more medals.
Captain Julia Wedmore ran her best cross country race of the season so far to lead her team in 30th. She was followed by Karen Ellison (43rd), Nikki Sturzaker (64th) and Eliza Cottington (72nd) completing the scorers. A B team was formed comprising debutante Sophie Gunning (81st), Charlotte Kenyon (86th), Megan Gildea (112th) and Hannah Edwards (132nd).
The U20 women were frustratingly one athlete short of a good scoring team in an age group where only four clubs finished a full complement of four. The three Herne Hill athletes had superb runs, led by Poppy Craig-McFeely who was an excellent seventh – the highest individual position achieved by any Harriers runner on the day. She was backed up by Kaitlin Hewitt (17th) and Phoebe Bowen (30th). All three will still be in this age group next winter season.
The U15 girls placed eighth team through Orla Carroll (12th), Sophie Jack (35th), Orla Wright (52nd) and Lily Kitto (59th), while the U17 women were also eighth their scorers were Eva O’Hanlon (47th), Vivi Marshall (68th), Grace O’Hanlon (84th) and Rosalie Laban (94th).
The U17 men came 10th place. Robin Bebbington was 52nd – backed up by Harry Bell (54th), Mori Alimi (60th) and Alex Jack (63rd).
The U13 girls were 17th courtesy of Florence Mills (41st), Sofia Mendes (98th), Summer Mackay (102nd) and Assie Ubhi (151st). The U15 boys – Archy Atkinson (41st), Jack McLennan (93rd), Alex Wilson (96th) and Alfie Bryan (122nd) – were also 17th.
Herne Hill’s men replicated that 17th team placing with some regulars unavailable.
The team was led home by a trio of experienced veterans – M40 Jeff Cunningham was 99th, then 50-year-olds Ben Paviour and Simon Coombes were 113th and 139th respectively. The scoring six man team was completed by Joe Fenwick (146th), Ryan Willmott (219th) and Jack Coy (243rd). The latter was very nearly caught at the end by the seventh Harriers finisher Ben Millar, another veteran (M45) in 249th.
DULWICH RUNNERS