WESTBURY Harriers’ female runners had a good day at the 2023 Avon Schools’ Cross Country Championships at the weekend.
Results show that they won three of the four titles on offer in the fog at the Clifton College sports grounds thanks to Lola Simpson (minors), Estelle Lowe (juniors) and Laura Chance (inters ana former junior champion as well).
Only Zoey Starke of BGS denied the Harriers a clean sweep as she won the senior girls’ at her first attempt chased home by the Bristol & West AC pair of Amy Nicholls and Sophi Hayes-Hoyle.
B&W’s two golds both came in the boys’ races with Ewen Sparey continuing his fine season with victory in the junior boys’ age group while Freddie Barnes claimed gold in the minor boys.
North Somerset AC’s solo gold came in the inter boys’ age group and it was a good one as Reuben Wadey led a one-two with clubmate Benjamin Collins chasing him home. Team Bath’s English School’s 800m medallist Charlie Haines was third.
The final gold was won by another Team Bath track star, steeplechase national medallist Dylan Stoneman who claimed victory in the senior boys’ race from North Somerset’s Samuel Holloway with B&W’s Nick Pestell third.
The medallist plus others who made the top ten should now earn selection to represent Avon at the South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships a week on Saturday – and on ‘home’ territory with Blaise Castle hosting the event.
Avon Schools’ Cross Country Championships, Clifton College sports grounds
BC=Beechen Cliff; BGS=Bristol Grammar School; BFS=Bristol Free School; CA=Churchill Academy; CAB=City Academy Bristol; CS=Clevedon School; K=Kingswood, Bath; PP=Prior Park; RA=Ralph Allen; RGS=Redland Green School; RH=Redmainds High; S=Sidcot; SK=St Katherines; SMRT=St Mary Redcliffe & Temple; TMS=Tockington Manor School; WW=Wellsway;
Senior boys: 1 Dylan Stoneman (BC); 2 Samuel Holloway (CS); 3 Nick Pestell (BGS).
Inter boys: 1 Reuben Wadey (BGS); 2 Benjamin Collins (CS); 3 Charlie Haines.
Junior boys: 1 Ewan Sparey (WW); 2 Stanley Wyatt (RA); 3 Augustin Downing (QEH).
Minor boys: 1 Freddie Barnes (BGS); 2 Alexander Rice (CA); 3 Joel Wadey (BGS).
Senior girls: 1 Zoey Starke (BGS); 2 Amy Nicholls (WW); 3 Sophi Hayes Hoyle (SMRT).
Inter girls: 1 Laura Chance (RH); 2 Talia Hughes (S); 3 Felicity Lowe (RGS).
Junior girls: 1 Estelle Lowe (RGS); 2 Heidi Martineau (SK); 3 Gabby Ritter Sherrat (CAB).
Minor girls: 1 Lola Simpson (TMS); 2 Elsa Jones (BFS); 3 Amelia Johnson (PP).