On a busy weekend of Cross Country running there were two more Harriers crowned Co-Champions, with Alice Bennett taking Gold in the County Schools Race in Corby, and Tiggy Guthrie-Brown taking Gold in the re-arranged Cambridgeshire Country Championships in St. Neots, to add to the two co-Champions from the opening weekend of 2024.
Alice Bennett powering her way to senior Girls Gold
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Northants County Schools held in West Glebe Park in Corby on a challenging but dry course is a chance for athletes to make the Northants County team of 16 competing at the prestigious Anglian Trophy inter-Counties match in 2 weeks time in Stamford, With the top 14 guaranteed a spot.
Alice Bennett dominated the 4k Senior Girls race, with Club colleague Lara Turner sharing the lead throughout the race, before Bennett turned on the afterburners with 200m to go to grab the Gold with Turner just 30m behind to take the Silver and a superb one/ two in the race. Bennett who is planning to contest the indoor U20 & senior women’s British Championships over her specialist distance of 800m in the coming weeks was happy to start her XC campaign on a positive note. Both girls qualify for the County Team with the next round, the Anglian Trophy, on 03rd Feb at Burley House in Stamford.
Superb one/ two for the senior girls with Gold for Alice Bennett (left) & Silver for Lara Turner
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The only other medallist on the day was Iona Ellwood who ran a terrific race in the U17 Girls race over 3.6k to grab the Bronze medal. Ellwood ran a smart race, deciding to sit in at the start and put in a hard effort towards the end, and she was closing down the lead two athletes with a very strong finish in the final 600m. Maggie Gancheva still building to full fitness run a solid race to qualify well for the next round in 6th place, with Charlotte Jackson also running well securing her selection with a fine 10th place finish, with Freya Allitt just missing automatic selection with a 15th place finish, she will be in the County Team of 16 unless there are appeals.
Iona Ellwood a fine race to take the U17 Girls Bronze
The U17 Boys race saw three Harriers qualify for the County Team with a great run from Dylan Ransom to finish just out of the medals over the 4.5k course in a fine 4th place, with Evan Willis finishing in 6th place and George sharp in 15th place also securing his slot in the team. Fynn Brooker finished in 24th place.
4th place for U17 Dylan Ransom
Also finishing just out of the medals was Elsie Bennett who ran despite missing school through sickness finishing in 4th place with a fine run, with Sabina Lawton joining her in the qualification with a solid run in 12th place with occasional squad attendee Millie Sharp also qualifying with a fine 10th place finish. Viola Mazura finished in 34th.
Elsie Bennett strong run for 4th place
There was some good performances in the senior boys race with Joseph Pickering top finisher in 5th place, with a rare outing for George Separovic seeing him finish in a very respectable 11th place, with club colleague Ellis Johnson in 12th, with all qualifying for the county team.
The sole Harrier in the U15 boys race was Harlee Hooker who enjoyed a fine race to finish in 5th place and book his spot in the County team.
harlee Hooker fine 5th place finish
With a total 15 Harriers booking their place for the Northants Team and a further 4 also representing the rival county of Cambridgeshire who qualified the week before, it was a very successful return for the Middle Distance squad. Well done to everyone who ran.
Cambridgeshire County Championships
The Cambridgeshire County Championships, cancelled 2 weeks earlier due to the wet weather was run in St. Neots and it proved to be a very successful championships for the three Cambs based athletes who competed.
U13 Tiggy Guthrie-Brown was in imperious form to take the Gold, taking the race out Guthrie-Brown led for much of the race with club colleague Clara Turner in close company, Guthrie-Brown extended her lead with a very strong run to finish 80m ahead of second place Hunts AC’s Esme Lyndon, with Harriers Turner taking a fine Bronze medal.
Tiggy Guthrie-Brown (left) winning the Gold with Clara Turner taking the Bronze
Also winning a fine Bronze was bottom year athlete Joshua Spavins who finished behind two high quality top year athletes, Spavins the week earlier had won the Cambs Schools minor boys County Championship and he also won the Northats County Championship race competing as a guest to show he is in great form.
U13 Joshua Spavins with a Bronze medal in the Cambs Co-Championships
Well done everybody who ran!