Emily Williams maintained her unbeaten start to the year with another top quality run in the Anglian Trophy inter-county match to secure her third Anglian Trophy title to add to her titles won in the Junior Girls & Minor Girls Age Groups. On this occasion Emily was running as a bottom year Inter Girl, but this did not stop the 14 year old from a comfortable win from Norfolk’s Nelly Porter on a day which saw 14 Harriers secure all important English Schools places to represent their county for the National Championships on March 18th at the Norfolk county showground in Norwich.
Emily Williams Unbeaten in 2017
With a number of nasty viruses taking its toll in the camp there were a few athletes who were unable to compete but who managed to secure places either because they were crowned county champion 2 weeks earlier, or by appeal. The race which is a highly competitive contest, pitching finest school age athletes from Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk competing against the Northants county team.
On a superb brisk and bright morning the first race to get underway was the minor girls race over 2.5km with Lauren Hewitt featuring for the harriers, and she ran a terrific race to finish in an excellent 16th place overall in the 71 strong field, completing the course in 10:55, and 6th and final scorer for the tam to help them easily secure the team trophy, with Northants completing a clean sweep of the medals.
The Senior Girls race over 4.2km saw a terrific cluster of 5 Harriers all securing English schools qualification places, with Sophie Moss top finisher on the day in 17th place in 18:23 with a typical strong run, just ahead of Bethan Lewis in 18th (18:27) who enjoyed a fine race. Also running a quality race was Elana Albery who is finding her way back to some form and finishing in 22nd (18:53), with Amy Robinson 34th (20:14) with a fine run, and Chloe Hearn recovering from a lingering virus battling to secure her ES qualification in 38th place (20:30). The county schools champion, Claudia Nevett, unable to run due to a virus, retained her spot for English Schools and her time over the same course 2 weeks earlier suggest she would have been challenging for the top medals, & Lily Carmichael on appeal also secured a place in the 8 girl English Schools team, who was also unable to run due to a virus.
Some of the 7 Harriers (Sophie Moss, Elana Albery, Chloe Hearne, Bethan Lewis) who make up the Northants Senior Girls team
The Minor Boys race followed, and 11 year old Alfie Frayne had another superb race which saw him finish just outside of the top 10 as a bottom year athlete in 11th place completing the 2.9km course in 11:55 and close down his main rival & Northants team mate Louis Butterick to just 2 seconds with a strong finish to finish as seconds Northants scorer. The Minor boy’s team finished in 4th place.
Alfie Frayne fine run just out of the top 10
The Junior Boys race saw top year Dylan Bowley, and one of the favourites to take the title, in action over the 4.2km course. Sadly for Dylan who was also struck down with a virus he was barely able to breathe so he had to withdraw from the race, which saw local rival Archie Parkinson, and runner up to Dylan 2 weeks earlier, secure the win in 15:09. The only other Harriers interest in the AG was Josh Geddes who was unable to race due to a groin strain. Dylan will retain his County slot for English Schools his main priority this season.
The Junior Girls race featured just one Harrier, Freya Batkin, who ran a fine race completing the 3.3km course in 14:27 to finish in 27th place overall and 3rd Northants scorer to secure her first English Schools selection. Also securing her first ES selection under appeal was Mia Brockway who was also struck down by a virus and unable to race.
The Inter Girls race was next off and this saw bottom year Emily Williams totally dominate the race from start to finish to record a superb victory, the only one of the day for the Harrier’s, over the 3.7km course which she completed in 14:06, her third victory over the Abington Park course this year. Also running a superb race was the much improved Poppy Carmichael who ran a strong race to finish in 21st place (15:38) & secure her ES place as 5th Northants scorer, just 10 seconds from two of her local county rivals & there were respectable performances from both Harriett Jolley & Charlotte Maywood who finished in 54th (9th Northants athlete) & 63rd (12th Northants athlete) respectively.
Emily Williams superb victory to clinch her 3rd Anglian Trophy title
The Inter boys race saw perhaps the best race of the day with Fynn Batkin running full of confidence from his first ever county title pitched against his two R&N rivals, Adam Searle & Adam Caulfield. All three boys were prominent in the opening lap, and Adam Searle was first to push the pace on, resulting in Cambridgeshire’s Thomas Keen & Fynn forming a breakaway group. Keen had opened up a 20m gap on Fynn & sensing his rival was tiring Fynn closed down and eventually overtook Keen to move into second place on the third long uphill section of the course, and stretched away to close down the eventual winner Adam Searle and finish in an excellent Silver medal position in 20:24 over the 5.8km course, and help the Northants team easily clinch the team prize from Cambs. The only Harrier interest was Josh Cannell, who was still recovering from a virus which saw him miss the County Schools Championships, and clearly still struggling, finishing in 61st place.
Fynn Batkin on his way to a superb Silver Medal
A Superb performance from the KTH squad, and 13 Athletes selected for English Schools, beating the two previous years, well done to all who ran.