Youngsters combat for honours in Leeds on the re-scheduled cross-country tournament
The highest faculties within the nation descended on Leeds on Saturday (March 1) for ‘take two’ of the English Faculties Move Nation Cup Ultimate, which were dramatically postponed by way of the onset of Hurricane Darragh in December, Isla Masson reviews.
It was once well worth the wait as spring sunshine basked the fantastic surroundings of The Grammar Faculty at Leeds. Nevertheless it was once closing 12 months’s hosts, Woodbridge Faculty, who stole the limelight with two staff wins. That they did so within the notoriously unpredictable junior races made it much more spectacular, and can most probably make the Suffolk faculty a pressure to be reckoned with as their rapid younger squad strikes up the age teams.
The undulating direction round Leeds’ plentiful grounds was once unusually company given the quagmires of earlier weeks, and with distances quite quick, successful junior occasions had been across the eight-minute mark, which made the racing (and supporting!) quite anxious.
This suited Woodbridge’s Suffolk champion Dexter Marshall, whose sub-4:40 1500m tempo no person else within the box may just fit, and he got here away with a dominant victory. Charlie Porteous got here in a transparent 2d for Ilkley Grammar prior to the loads streamed in – part the sector was once coated by way of a blanket of about 30 seconds. Woodbridge closed all 4 scorers inside of 30 for a very good 69 issues ranking, from Langley Park (97 issues) who additionally packed nicely for his or her best possible ever end result on this festival, whilst Taunton finished a southern podium with 108 issues.
Woodbridge had been much more dominant within the junior women’, clinching their identify with 60 issues. Jess Thake had two times come 2d at the nation this 12 months at Yorkshire and Northern Champs respectively, and now went one higher for Silverdale. Subsequent had been West Kirby Grammar’s Beddow twins, who had been break up by way of Polly Warman of Millfield Prep. Warman’s team-mates sponsored her up nicely for staff silver, pipping women’ powerhouse Guildford Prime. However they had been well-beaten by way of Woodbridge’s very good packing, modestly described by way of their an important fourth scorer Ella Knight, who mentioned: “Our team stayed together and ran a good race”. Main scorer India Johnson added: “The last stretch was hard. It was mentally very tough.”
The intermediate boys’ race was once a decent affair, most effective 3 issues keeping apart the highest 3 groups (and with most effective every other 5 issues again to fourth), and once more an overly tight midfield intended that a couple of seconds misplaced or received had important have an effect on at the staff end result. Even though they didn’t have any individual within the best 20, it was once a super staff effort by way of Bournemouth Faculty, who positioned all their six runners from twenty fourth to thirty ninth, exemplifying the staff facet of this tournament. Middlesex challengers St Paul’s misplaced out at the ultimate counter, with a identical tale for bronze medallists Perse, who had the comfort of offering the race winner: nationwide third-placer Finn Maclennan lived as much as his pre-race favorite billing, from different big-hitters Michael Phelan (St Anselm’s) and Tom Thake (Silverdale).
Guildford have fun with their ‘frog hop’ (Dave Woodhead)
Guildford Prime were the staff to overcome in recent times at the women’ aspect, and having gained the junior women’ in successive years it was once no wonder to peer them now regain their intermediate identify. They did so in some taste with a one-two for Kitty Scott and Poppy Visitor, in a repeat in their Southern end result for his or her membership, Aldershot, Farnham and District.
The senior boys’ tournament was once all the time prone to grow to be an indication by way of the south-east’s 6th shape faculties, Farnborough and Godalming, the one query was once whether or not they may get their best runners to prove at this busy time of 12 months. For Godalming, they had been one quick, and not seemed like difficult, however for 6th Shape Faculty Farnborough, it was once a powerful ‘yes’, and after the Millfield pair of Nate Floor and Tom Webb had made the early operating, Owen Smith and Jacob Pearce broke away expectedly.
Smith were in higher shape, clinching the SE Faculties’ Inter-County, and he left Pearce within the ultimate mile, and they didn’t have to attend lengthy for his or her team-mates who closed inside of 12. Dillon Millard got here via for 0.33 for every other school entering into at the act, Richard Huish, Taunton. The early Millfield leaders can have pale, however their latter scorers got here via nicely for staff silver (75 issues) whilst the Ilkley Grammar squad, the use of their native wisdom having gained the regional ultimate in this direction, delivered a excellent lead to 0.33 (85 issues).
With round 4000 scholars on their books, and the well-known AFD provide chain on faucet, Farnborough are on the apex of what threatens to grow to be a two-tier festival, which organisers would possibly no longer have had in thoughts after they unfolded the senior occasions 3 years in the past; many sports activities separate out faculty and school competitions.
Katie Pye (centre) with Evey Powell (left) and Zoe Gilbody (Dave Woodhead)
This factor doesn’t but appear to have grow to be a function of the senior women’ festival, which nonetheless was once a top of the range affair. Essex champion Olivia Forrest (New Corridor) surged into the lead however pale mid-race. This left the best way for Southern champion and junior global Katie Pye to clinch the win, however, very similar to the SE Regional Ultimate, her Guildford Prime team-mates had been too a long way again.
It was once a identical tale for 2d placer Zoe Gilbody’s Thomas Telford’s squad. So it was once with satisfaction for Headington’s Evey Powell who ran her best possible go nation race up to now in 0.33, and main her Oxfordshire Faculty to their first identify with 86 issues, from Highgate (107 issues) and Millfield (110).
Faculties most effective want to wait 9 months till the following Cup Ultimate, on the new venue of Princethorpe Faculty, Warwickshire.
Senior Boys: 1 O Smith (Farn C) 15:25; 2 J Pearce (Farn C) 15:43; 3 D Millard (Huish) 15:55
TEAM: 1 Farnborough Vl Shape Faculty 25; 2 Millfield 75; 3 Ilkley Grammar 85
Inter Boys: 1 F MacClennan (Perse) 12:25; 2 M Phelan (St Anselms) 12:53; 3 T Thake (S’dale) 12;57
TEAM: 1 Bournemouth 110; 2 St Paul’s 112; 3 Perse 113
Senior women: 1 Ok Pye (Guildford) 10:44; 2 Z Gilbody (T Telford) 10:48; 3 E Powell (Headington 10:49)
TEAM: 1 Headington 86; 2 Highgate 107; 3 Millfield 110
Inter Ladies: 1 Ok Scott (Guildford) 10:41; 2 P Visitor (Guildford) 10:46; 3 S Smith (Coopers) 10:51
TEAM: 1 Guildford Prime Faculty 19; 2 Chelmsford County 107; 3 New Corridor 113
Junior Ladies: 1 J Thake (S’dale) 8:11; 2 I Beddow (W Kirby) 8:15; 3 P Warman (Millfield) 8:17
TEAM: 1 Woodbridge 60; 2 Millfield 92; 3 Guildford 94
Complete effects right here.
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