A clean sweep is usually a pretty good demonstration of strength on depth but Bristol & West AC’s senior women raised the bar to a whole new level with their display of power running in the latest John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League fixture.
Being on home soil at Blaise Castle, Bristol, probably helped and clearly the women weren’t deterred by the remnants of Storm Eunice which ensured wet, wild and windy conditions.
But who would have dared foreseen the B&W women filling the top five positions while also packing seven in nine? Indeed, team manager Chris Elson pointed out afterwards it was even better than that as Chepstow Harrier Katy Roy is a second claim member of the club and is coached by Dave Taylor.
“To have the first five women home in the Gwent Cross-Country League women’s race is an astonishing feat,” said Elson.
He’s not exaggerating. With five to count in the team competition that gave the B&W A team of Chelsea Creak, Katrina Entwistle, Amy Partridge, Francis Arnott and Catie O’Donoghue the perfect score and cemented their overall position at the top with just one match remaining.
Not only that with their next five runners – Hannah Dyer, Naomi Aylwin, Claire Jolliffe, Liz Sanigar and Ellen Harrison – packing into the top 26 the B team finished second on the day and are now joint second overall with Chepstow Harriers.
The Westbury Harriers squad of Samantha Mundy, Emma Butters, Lucy Richens, Robyn Ellis and Kirstie Hamilton-Jones were fourth.
Individually Weston AC’s Susan Duncan had a strong run to place 10th with clubmate Alice Smith just behind in 12th while Kelly Dicks of Great Western Runners was 13th.