DALIS Jones took the local honours in the opening British Cross Challenge event in Cardiff at the weekend.
In her first race on the country this winter the Westbury Harrier (pictured left) really impressed in a top quality field as she finished third in the under 15 girls’ age group.
Jones couldn’t hold onto the top two on the day – winner Holly Weedall and runner-up Samila Jones finished comfortably clear – but this was a great opening and something to build on for the rest of the season.
Bristol & West’s Danni Sinclair finished 11th with Alice Bridger Morales just behind in 12th.
Abdi Hassan (pictured in action, courtesy of Mike Mewse) opened his cross country season with an impressive performance. The Westbury Harrier teenager mixed it with a top class field in the under 17 men’s race with just eight seconds separating the top four.
Hasan missed out on the podium on this occasion as Mohamed Ali from London took the honours by just a second from Matt Stonier with Archie May another second adrift in third.
Cornwall’s former English Schools’ champion Harris Mier was eighth while Hasan’s Westbury team-mates Johan Hobbs and Tom Reed finished 44th and 45th respectively.
Westbury’s Seamus Robinson ran strongly for fifth place in the under 15 boys’ race and clubmate George Peacock was 10th in the under 13s age group.
North Somerset’s star performer on the day was Keira Devereux (pictured right) as she came fourth in the under 3 girls’ race , missing a place on the podium by just a second.
Rosie Hamilton-James was 24th overall in the combined U20/17 women’s race and fellow Harrier Aidan Noble came 31st in the under 20 men’s race.
In the under 11 boys’ age group Westbury’s Henry Watson rose to the occasion by finishing sixth.