The bronze boys: North Somerset AC’s under 17 men’s squad
NORTH Somerset AC’s under 17 men’s squad came agonisingly close to winning the club’s team title at the South West Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships.
The quartet of Alfie Hocking, Ollie Lock, Ben Hamblin and Will Scott scored 63 points, just one point behind Taunton AC in second and a mere three points adrift of champions North Devon AC.
“Our fourth scorer was carrying a slight knee injury otherwise it would have been gold,” said team manager Julian Emery.
Hocking, Lock and Hamblin also formed three-quarters of the Avon team, with Team Bath’s Alex Parsons also scoring, who won team silver in the country competition.
It wasn’t the only success for the club on the challenging but true course at Aldon Hill Country Park, Yeovil.
North Somerset’s under 13 boys’ team of Elliot Jeston (12th), Ben Collins (14th), Joel Martineau (22nd) and Patrick Hipkiss (31st) showed up well to finish third team and Matt Howard won a silver in the under 20 men’s age group.
“It was a great day for the club,” added Emery.
Good to see Westbury’s Abdi Hasan back racing after a break and showing great stamina over the four lap course to finish seven under 20 man just ahead of clubmate Ben Rawlins.
U20 men: 1 Sam Goodchild (CAC) 28:31; 2 Matt Howard (NSAC) 28:49; 3 Floyd Ratcliffe (Mile) 29:07.
Teams – counties: 1 Cornwall 23; 2 Avon 42 (7 Abdi Hasan Westbury, 8 Ben Rawlins Westbury, 11 Greg Hayward Westbury, 16 Jack Wilkinson NSAC); 3 Dorset 50.
U17 men: 1 Flynn Jennings (Bide) 18:20; 2 Oliver Smart (Tavi) 18:47; 3 Ed Mitchell (CAC) 19:05.
Teams – clubs: 1 North Devon AC 60; 2 Taunton AC 62; 3 North Somerset AC 63 (6 Alfie Hocking, 9 Ollie Lock, 15 Ben Hamblin, 34 Will Scott).
Counties: 1 Devon 19; 2 Avon 34 (4 Alex Parsons Team Bath, Hocking, Lock, Hamblin); 3 Somerset 57; 4 Cornwall 72; 5 Dorset 112; 6 Wiltshire 122.
Under 15 boys: 1 Edward Bird (Dorch) 15:43; 2 Sam Mills (Ex) 15:57; 3 Archie Coates (Wells) 15:58.
Teams – clubs: 1 Wells City Harriers 82; 2 Dorchester AC 99; 3 Poole AC 100.
Counties: 1 Dorset 37; 2 Devon 37; 3 Somerset 40; 4 Wiltshire 54; 5 Avon 69; 6 Cornwall 126.
Under 13 boys: 1 Henry Sheffield (Ciren) 11:11; 2 Harry Maxwell (TB) 11:24; 3 Chris Oliveira (NDAC) 11:25.
Teams – clubs: 1 Exeter Harriers 25; 2 Taunton AC 72; 3 North Somerset AC 79.
Counties: 1 Devon 19; 2 Wiltshire 27 (2 Maxwell, 8 Matt Nocton MADJA, 10 Joshua Maxwell Team Bath, 13 Charlie Coles Salisbury); 3 Somerset 64; 4 Avon 70; 5 Cornwall 71; 6 Dorset 121.