The second fixture in the North Midland XC League, saw a quite brilliant run from U15 Marianna Owen to win the U15 Girls race in style, to add to her growing reputation since joining the Harriers in August. The fixture, held at Corby West Glebe park in unseasonally firm conditions, saw some fine performances from the Harriers both individually and in the team competition as the Cross Country season gathers momentum.
The very strong Harriers U15G squad led the way in both the individual and team stakes, with bottom year Marianna Owen hitting the front from the start to immediately take control of the race. Owen slowly extended the lead throughout the 3km course with a quite brilliant run, full of confidence from the previous weeks National XC relays she never looked in trouble and beat some very good athletes to take the win in 10:16, 100m ahead of Mansfield Harriers Charley Whysall. Also running a terrific race was bottom year Millie Sharp who has only be training with the Harriers from the spring, Sharp also enjoyed a great start, and she battled hard throughout the race to finish in a fine 7th place (11:12), with the final scorer, Elsie Bennett in her first outing over the winter season also ran a fine race finishing in 9th place (11:18) to bring the team home in 2nd place behind a strong Mansfield Harriers team. Darcey Taplin also ran well to finish in 22nd place (12:49).
Marianna Owen a growing reputation with a dominant win in the U15G race
The other outstanding individual performance of the day was from bottom year U17 Iona Ellwood, who ran a fabulous race to finish in third place. Ellwood who also enjoyed a fine race at the National XC relays looked strong in the closing stages of the race and was chasing down Notts AC’s Megan Taylor in the final 200m, but was just unable to take her before the line for 2nd place, with both athletes being given an identical time of 19.58 for the 5k course. Charlotte Jackson also had a fine race to finish in 10th place to help the Harriers to third place in the team race.
Iona Ellwood fast finish for a superb 3rd place finish in the U17W race
The U15B team top scored for the Harriers male athletes with a terrific 4th place in the team competition. Oliver Smith was the first home, racing along side fellow Harrier Ben Scott for much of the race, Smith accelerated away in the last 100m with his trade mark sprint finish to complete the 5km course in 17:45 in 9th place. Scott finished just behind in 10th place (17:49) with a fine race, with Harlee Hooker the final scorer in 17th place (18:14).
Oliver Smith (far right) top scoring for the U15B in 9th place
Top Individual performance from the men was U20 Lucas Rogers who finished in a fine 5th place in the U20 competition, 28th overall, completing the 10km course in 33.02. Rogers topped scored for the SM team with Josh Cannell also with a fine top 50 placing (39th in 33.59), with Phil Brigden 75th (36.56), Phil West 82nd (37.22), and Rafal Buzuk final scorer in 87th (37.34) bringing the team home in 7th place. Richard Balby also ran well for 109th (38.58).
Lucas Rogers with a fine 5th place finnish in the U20 race and top scoring for the Senior Men's team
The U17M race saw just one athlete competing, with George Sharp running well over the 6km course in 21.18 in 16th place.
There was good representation from the younger age groups with 6th place team finishes from both the U13G & U13B. The girls race over 3km consisted of new squad athletes Megan Turner, who top scored for the girls in 17th place (13:04), and Olivia Henderson finishing just behind in 20th (13:38), and Amelie Chymcakova in 24th (14:28) completing the scoring. The boys had just two athletes competing with Callum Johnson top scoring in 18th (12.22) & William Burtenshaw in 22nd (13:04).
U13G race with Megan Turner (left) top scoring in 17th place & Olivia Henderson in 20th place
It was also great to see some of the younger U11 athletes in action with a fine 5th place team placing for the U11B, with Hal Hawkins in 10th place (8.45) & Max Cochrane in 14th (8.57) over the 2km course. The Girls U11 team finished in 7th place with Eve Whitworth finishing in 31st (11.23) & Jessica Bailey in 33rd (11.39).
Well Done to everyone who ran.