BRISTOL & West AC senior runners dominated the second Gwent Cross Country League fixture at Blaise Castle.
The senior men enjoyed a clean sweep with Kurt Taylor showing his class in his first cross country race of the season with a commanding victory by over half a minute.
Team captain Owain Jones strengthened his overall lead with second place ahead of Felix McGrath in third while Luke Burgess underlined the men’s dominance by placing fourth.
And with Andrew Salmon also making the top twenty B&W easily won the team competition while solid packing by David Awde, Rhys Goddard, Daniel Shepherd, Graham Breen and Simon Bright saw the B team place third, just a point behind Swansea University.
In the women’s race Kate MacTear celebrated her Gwent League debut with a superb victory, just edging out Katrina Entwistle by one second as the pair finished well clear of Ponytpool’s Chloe Dooley.
Elaina Gard and Jessie Sanzo, who was first veteran over 40, both made the top ten with Catie O’Donoghue and Nicola Brookland, top W45, 11th and 12th respectively.
With Hannah Dyer, Caz Buckeridge, Ellen Harrison and Ellie Armstrong all finishing inside the top 35 from a field of 320 runners Bristol & West secured first and third teams.
Sandwiched in-between was the Westbury Harriers squad of Tilly Spinney and Bridget Belfourd, who both ran strongly to make the top ten, with solid support from Katie Hughes, Vicky Tester and Anya Erasmus.
Outside the B&W squad in the men’s race North Somerset AC’s Joe Gentry did well to make the top ten in ninth while Rob Farley of Bitton Road Runners ran well for 12th.
Westbury’s leading man was Ben Rawlins in 28th with Oli Beale just behind in 31st.
Gwent cross country league, Blaise Castle, Bristol – senior men: 1 Kurt Taylor 25:37; 2 Owain Jones (M40) 26:14; 3 Felix McGrath 26:22; 4 Luke Burgess 26:26.
B&W: 14 Andrew Salmon; 16 David Awde; 21 Rhys Goddard; 27 Daniel Shepherd; 52 Graham Breen; 53 Simon Bright; 65 Chris Nelson;
Overall (after two fixtures); 1 Jones 898; 2 Burgess (U23) 897; 3 Luca Cortellese (Swansea, U23) 883.
Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 2112; 2 University of Swansea 198l 3 Bristol & West AC B 1982.
Overall: 1 B&W 4498; 2 Parc Bryn Back RC 4250; 3 Neath Harriers 4149.
Senior women: 1 Kate Mactear 24:32; 2 Katrina Entwistle 24:33; 3 Chloe Dooley (Pontypool) 24:44.
B&W: 5 Elaina Gard; 7 Jessie Sanzo (W40, 1st); 11 Catie O’Donoghue; 12 Nicola Brookland (W45, 1st); 17 Hannah Dyer; 18 Caz Buckeridge; 26 Ellen Harrison; 33 Ellie Armstrong; 34 Marie Monaghan; 49 Amy Brammar; 51 Emma Jolliffe; 52 Tanya Chowdhury (W45);
Westbury Harriers; 8 Tilly Spinney (U23); 10 Bridget Belfound; 20 Katie Hughes; 23 Vicky Tester (W40); 35 Anya Erasmus; 39 Becky Lee; 60 Tamsin Chick (W40).
Overall (after two fixtures); 1 Entwistle 641; 2 Sanzo 630; 3 Gard 622.
Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 1579; 2 Westbury Harriers 1509; 3 Bristol & West AC B 1499. 6= B&W C & Les Croupiers 1357.
Overall: 1 B&W A 3134; 2 Westbury 3029; 3 Les Croupiers 2941.