Champions: (L to R): Mike Down, Josh Moody, Andy Watt, Jack Millar, Owain Jones, Harry Allen and Chris Elson
BRISTOL & West AC’s senior teams are today celebrating a double success at the 2019 South West Inter Counties Cross Country Championships.
The senior men continued their dominance of the event since it was re-launched a decade ago as they swept aside their rivals, packing their five scorers into the top 12 of the 162-strong field.
That gave the team just 33 points, 142 clear of Team Bath in second with Cornwall only three points further back in third.
“It is always one of our targets of the winter to win this team title and I would say that is one of the biggest wins we have ever enjoyed,” said Mike Down, who is joint senior men’s team manager with Chris Elson.
The most experienced runner in the team, Owain Jones, led by example as he worked his way through the field after a steady start before taking the lead on the second lap and never relinquishing it, despite a determined effort by international duathlete Phil Wylie in the closing stages.
Victory was Jones’ third in five years after finishing fifth last year and missing the event in 2016.
“I was not expecting this at all today so I am very pleased to win,” said Jones, who is racing himself back into form after 2018 was marred with Achilles tendon problems.
Jones was well supported by Jack Millar in fourth, Harry Allen seventh, Joshua Moody ninth and Andrew Watt 12th. For good measure Jones also led Avon to the inter-counties team title to compete a memorable hat-trick of gold medals.
2019 South West Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, Aldon Hill, Yeovil – senior men: 1 Owain Jones (B&W) 29:38; 2 Phil Wylie (Chelt, M40) 29:46; 3 Finn Birnie (N&P, U20) 29:53.
M40: 1 Wylie; 2 Mark Jenkin (Bide); 3 Phil Burden (Taun).
M50: 1 Paul Whear (CAC); 2 Alec Woods (SWVets); 3 Guy Woods (SWVets).
M60: 1 Jonathan Goodland (B&W); 2 Tom Hutchison (TB); 3 Peter Wheddon (Clev).
Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 33; 2 Team Bath AC 175; 3 Cornwall AC 178; 4 Tavistock Run Project 275; 5 Westbury Harriers 370; 6 Clevedon 423.
Counties: 1 Avon 34; 2 Devon 105; 3 Cornwall 112.
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.
Senior women: 1 Heidi Tregenza (CAC) 20:03; 2 Grace Copeland (Wimb) 20:26; 3 Elise Thorner (Wells, U20) 20:40.
Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 62; 2 Cornwall AC 79; 3 Avon Valley Runners 128; 4 Westbury Harriers 158; 8 Clevedon AC 246.
Counties: 1 Devon 52; 2 Avon 80; 3 Cornwall 85.
W45: 1 Cleo Perry (EVH); 2 Julie Dixon (Bide); 3 Katie Hughes (WH).
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.