THE medals won at 
the South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships by the Hobbs sisters and Hugh Sadler certainly wouldn’t have surprised the Avon team management, their coaches or families.
But who could have predicted that Sam Gentry would make the podium in the inter boys’ race?
And not just make the top three but also beat reigning English Schools’ junior boys’ champion Harris Mier, who this winter has been unbeaten in under 15 boys’ events.
Mier and his Cornwall team-mate Finn Birnie were the hot favourites for this title and they didn’t disappoint as they were soon dictating the tempo.
What was a genuine surprise was that Sam, who is a 14-year-old student at Backwell School, was right on their heels and mixing it with them.
I was a terrific run by the North Somerset AC runner, who is coached by Alan Thomas, and his silver medal was easily the best achievement of his career so far.
Eventual champion Finn Birnie leads from Harris Mier with Sam hidden
“I have never beaten Harris before so I am really pleased with that,” said Gentry, who is a 14-year-old student at Backwell School.
“That is probably my best ever cross country result – and I am not sure how I did it!”
Gentry led Avon to the silver team medals behind Cornwall in the inter boys’ race with solid support from Max Davies (4th), Sean Barry (5th), Aiden Noble (14th), Callum Smith (28th) and Abdi Hasan (30th).
There was also silver for the senior boys’ squad of Sadler, David Warnes (6th), Eddie Narbett (11th), Joe Gentry (16th), Harry Leeming (23rd) and Tom Kerfoot (29th).
South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships, Truro School (A=Avon; D=Devon; C=Cornwall; Do=Dorset; G=Gloucestershire; S=Somerset; W=Wiltshire).
Senior girls: 1 Katie Hughes ( C ) 17:15; 2 Sian Temple (C ) 17:33; 3 Hannah Hobbbs (A) 17:44.
Teams: 1 Cornwall 107; 2 Somerset 110; 3 Devon 116; 4 Dorset 129; 5 Gloucestershire 134; 6 Wiltshire 232.
Inter girls: 1 Grace Brock (C ) 14:59; 2 Ellie Hobbs (A) 15:24; 3 Caroline Brenchley (W) 15:33.
Teams: 1 Devon 72; 2 Dorset 101; 3 Somerset 107; 4 Cornwall 155; 6 Wiltshire 171; 7 Gloucestershire 203.
Junior girls: 1 Alex Scrivener (G) 13:37; 2 Enya Maylor (A) 13:56; 3 Emilie Castagna (Do) 14:00.
Teams: 1 Dorset 67; 2 Gloucestershire 91; 3 Somerset 93; 4 Avon 99; 5 Wiltshire 183; 6 Cornwall 198; 7 Devon 245.
Minor girls: 1 Maisy Luke (C ) 7:37; 2 Daisy Pellow (S) 7:55; 3 Kiya Dee (G) 8:00.
Teams: 1 Gloucestershire 68; 2 Somerset 98; 3 Wiltshire 117; 4 Cornwall 138; 5 Devon 153; 6 Avon 171; 7 Dorset 228.
Senior boys: 1 Hugh Sadler (A) 22:59; 2 Oliver Dickenson (S) 23:20; 3 Jaymee Domoney (W) 23:34.
Teams: 1 Somerset 59; 2 Avon 86; 3 Devon 137; 4 Gloucestershire 141; 5 Wiltshire 154; 6 Dorset 187.
Inter boys: Finn Birnie (C ) 19:25; 2 Sam Gentry (A) 19:41; 3 Harris Mier (C ) 19:50.
Teams: 1 Cornwall 53; 2 Avon 83; 3 Gloucestershire 104; 4 Devon 109; 5 Dorset 179; 6 Somerset 228; 6 Witshire 242.
Junior boys: 1 Henrik Wendin (S) 13:44; 2 Johnny Livingtone (D) 13:51; 3 Oliver Smart (D) 14:04.
Teams: 1 Somerset 42; 2 Devon 83; 3 Avon 110; 4 Gloucestershire 181; 5 Cornwall 187; 6 Dorset 211; 7 Wiltshire 212.
Minor boys: 1 Finn Pardy (Do) 9:40; 2 Sam Mills (D) 9:41; 3 Jake Fisher (S) 9:44.
Teams: 1 Avon 80; 2 Devon 87; 3 Dorset 114; 4 Gloucestershire 150; 5 Somerset 152; 6 Cornwall 194; 7 Wiltshire 253.