The English Schools’ Cross Country Championships

Sefton Park, Liverpool
Saturday 14^th March

Report – Angela Williamson

Eighteen talented young athletes from Stratford-upon-Avon Athletics Club (SuAAC) and Stratford schools represented Warwickshire at the English Schools Cross Country Championships at Sefton Park, Liverpool on Saturday 14^th March, with club member Dougie Garnett representing West Midlands. 

As Iain Presnell, Chairman of the English Schools’ Athletic Association stated in the glossy event programme, “every athlete competing should consider themselves winners for gaining selection to this major national event.”

Athletes represented 45 English counties and, in some events, The Channel Islands, with up to 46 start pens holding a maximum 8 runners in ranking order. 

Challenging to navigate the first 100-200m would prove decisive, with approximately 300 runners all battling for position through early pinch points. 

Gwil Price, Secretary of Warwickshire Schools Athletics Association, encouraged the team to, “run freely and strongly in the initial sprint and be brave in your efforts to gain a good start, it will be very difficult to make it up later in the race!”  And so it proved, with many competitors not getting the race outcome they were hoping for but gaining valuable experience. 

First on course at the relatively flat 200-acre venue, in near perfect bright, dry and cool conditions, were the Intermediate Girls, racing over 3.8km.  Stratford’s Marijke Tear- Verweij was the first Warwickshire finisher, in 93^rd place (14:32).  Next Stratford finisher was SuAACs Eve Ashley, followed by Stratford school girl Zoe McEvoy, and SuAAC’s Portia Nabney. 

Tear-Verweij has been in tremendous form this year but was impeded by some fallers at the start, which lost her a lot of places and momentum.  Ashley ran well in her debut at this level. 

There were no SuAAC runners but two Stratford schoolboys, Zakariya Rush and Gregory Latuszynski, competed in the 3.2km Junior Boys’ race.  The exceptionally talented Rush took 3^rd place (9:54), just 3 seconds behind the winner.  

An impressive 5 out of the 7 Warwickshire runners in the Junior Girls race (3.2km) were Stratford athletes.  First of them to finish was Maggie Silvers, in 221^st place (12:42) followed by Eliza McLeod, Isabella Marriott, Lucia Ogilvie Putt and Jasmine Mothershaw.  

Next up were the Intermediate Boys, racing over a distance of 5km.  Stratford’s Joel Ledgard acquitted himself well, running a solid, tactical race to be the first Stratford finisher, in 215^th place (18:21).  Next for Stratford came Will Hovell who, as a track and field specialist, demonstrated yet again his versatility by being selected, he was followed by Arthur Williamson.  Both were boxed in near the start and struggled to open up their stride, leaving them too much to recover later in the race.

Stratford schoolgirl Holly Burt was the first Warwickshire finisher in the 4.4km Senior Girls’ race, taking 71^st position (17:33).  SuAAC’s Annie Silvers had earned a team place but unfortunately was unable to race due to another commitment.  

Stratford’s Zak and Sam Lambert were both selected for the 6km Senior Boys’ race but Sam was unfortunately a late withdrawal due to injury. The first Stratford runner home was Dougie Garnett (73rd – 20:42), representing West Midlands, thus rounding off what had been a hugely successful XC season for this ever improving athlete.  Zak Lambert started well but was unable to hold his footing after a stumble and took a bruising fall, which cost him dearly, finishing in 135^th (21:21), well down on the result he would have expected.  Stratford’s Tom Fisher ran bravely,  despite his endurance being affected by a cold, and Will Mayes impressed as a late notice reserve in place of Sam Lambert.

England Masters Inter Area Track and Field Challenge. 

Report – Paula Williams

8 regional masters athletics teams’ converged on Lee Valley Stadium on Saturday the 14th March for this competition. 

I had the honour of being one of the two SuAAC athletes competing for the Midland Masters – the other being Elaine Ledden. Elaine took on the 200m, 400m and 4x200m relay and I had a go at the 60m, 60mH, shot and 4x200m relay. 

The competition is split into 3 challenges:

    1.    Women’s trophy

    2.    Men’s trophy

    3.    Overall winners.

Last year Midland Masters AC won all 3 trophies at the indoor comp and won the women’s trophy at the outdoor compettiton. 

For team managers, the challenge starts way before the actual competition with the work of selecting the team. We were slightly depleted with some gaps on the squad and athletes competing in events they normally wouldn’t but that’s the fun, isn’t it?

As the evening was drawing to a close it was close between the top 3 areas: Southern Counties, Eastern Masters and Midland Masters. 

It looked like MMAC was going to secure second place but there were only a couple of points between SCVAC and MMAC women’s team. 

Every point counted. 

The final event to count was the women’s triple jump, the result would determine the women’s trophy. 

233 to SCVAC and 236 to MMAC. 

The Midland Masters women won and retained the trophy with the men’s and overall trophy going to SCVAC … but it was close. 

• When completing your entry, please ensure you enter all details required, including your England Athletics Registration number.

• It may show your EA number has expired but the system should allow you to enter. If you are rejected initially, please keep trying.

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• If you are Year 6, you are Under 12, you will be issued with your England Athletics registration towards the end of next week so please bear with us. If you are Year 5, you do not need an England number.