FOR a track runner like Abdi Hasan the hilly nature of the course at Aldon Hill, Yeovil, for the South West Inter Counties Cross Country Championships must have been torture.
But the Westbury Harrier (pictured left), who is coming back from injury, can take great encouragement from his third place in the under 17 men’s race especially as he finished very strongly.
“That was a tough course but I’m pleased with how I went today,” said Hasan,
Hasan probably finished the race stronger than any of his rivals but by the time of the brutal climb to the finish the finish order had already been decided with the pair of Oliver Smart from Tavistock and Bideford’s Flynn Jennings well clear.
Hasan’s bronze wasn’t the inly one won by a Westbury runner in the young athletes’ races as Rosie Hamilton-James was third in the under 17 women’s race, one better than last year.
In addition Hamilton-James led the Westbury squad (pictured on top of the podium below) to team gold with solid support from Lottie Livesey (12th), Emily Whitaker (15th) and Rhiannon Paton (16th) as they beat Exeter Harriers by 10 points.
In the under 13 girls’ race Westbury’s Clementine Lee was just one second off making the podium in a fiercely competitive race while North Somerset AC’s Keira Devereux was just behind in fifth.
But there was a nice consolation for Lee as she led Westbury to a superb win in the team event with support from Charlotte Warren (sixth), Lauran Chance (10th) and Stephanie Hamilton-James (52nd).
In addition Lee was also the first scorer for the winning Avon squad with Devereux, Warren and Chance as they held off Devon by just five points.
2019 South West Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, Aldon Hill, Yeovil – U20 men: 1 Birnie; 2 Max Davis (AVR) 30:46; 3 Sam Goodchild (CAC) 30:55.
Counties: 1 Cornwall 23; 2 Devon 39; 3 Avon 42.
U17 men: 1 Oliver Smart (TRP) 17:51; 2 Flynn Jennings (Bide) 17:55; 3 Abdi Hasan (WH) 18:05.
Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 56.
Counties: 1 Devon 15; 2 Cornwall 35; 3 Avon 40.
U15 boys: 1 Joe Ponter (Taun) 13:53; 2 Isaac Murray (CAC) 14:01; 3 Thomas Heal (Taun) 14:09.
Teams: 1 Taunton AC 42; 2 Wells 49; 3 Cornwall AC 94.
Counties: 1 Somerset 20; 2 Devon 31; 3 Dorset 71.
U13 boys: 1 William Rabjohns (Poole) 11:29; 2 Charlie Hague (Ex) 11:41; 3 Jacob Webb (CAC) 12:13.
Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 52; 2 Exeter 73; 3 Taunton 99.
Counties: 1 Devon 24; 2 Cornwall 28; 3 Somerset 50.
U17 women: 1 Molly Canham (Ex) 15:16; 2 Chloe Olford (NAbbot) 15:36; 3 Rosie Hamilton-James (WH) 15:38.
Teams: 1 Westbury Harriers 46; 2 Exeter 56; 3 Newquay & Par AC 82.
Counties: 1 Devon 27; 2 Avon 46; 3 Cornwall 52.
U15 girls: 1 Bea Wood (Sals) 13:17; 2 Kiya Dee (HRC) 14:00; 3 Emily Shaw (Wimb) 14:03.
Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 36; 2 Exeter 81; 3 Poole AC 114.
Counties: 1 Cornwall 35; 2 Avon 44; 3 Dorset 44.
U13 girls: 1 Scarlett Livingstone (Ex) 12:30; 2 Iona Farquharson (Torbay) 13:00; 3 Sophie Nicholls (Sals) 13:16.
Teams: 1 Westbury Harriers 72; 2 Newquay & Par 137; 3 Cornwall AC 160.
Counties: 1 Avon 24; 2 Devon 29; 3 Dorset 55.