Another great win for Under 13 girls in North West London YA League

The Trent Park cross country course was once again wet and windy although it didn’t rain during the events. Starting with the Under 11 girls race, TVH had three competitors. Leading the team home, Kate Price was in fourth place throughout the race and Lily Dafter looked very strong as she finished nineth. Further down the field, Camille Rousset stuck to the task as well as the mud for her 31st place.

The next race had the strongest Valley turnout with seven under 13 girls. Improving every race, Ava White led from the start and at one point even went off course, came back and was still in the lead. She then opened up a gap of six seconds before the second runner came home. Next home was Lily Salkeld who is also getting better with every race and her fourth place just put her ahead of the Valley pack. Philippine Poupart-Lafarge, who is our tallest u13 was chased home by our smallest, Melina Duer who seems to thrive in the bad conditions. Olivia Colegrave was right behind them but she seems to do better on firmer courses. Charlotte Cooney-Quinn was another girl who didn’t like the course and was back in 20th place. Then Capucine did well to get round in 27th place out of 33 finishers. Under 11 boy, Ben Moon had a good race and did well to finish 12th out of 58. Noor-Eldin Mahmoud was having his first race and did well to finish 36th.

Our lone under 13 boy, Basil Rock improved his performance once again with a good 15th place out of 50 boys. With no under 15 or 17 girls brave enough to tackle the hilly course it was left to under 15 boys Oliver Weintraub and Nicholas Duer to battle it out and Oliver, despite having wrong spikes just beat Nicholas in 11th place to his 12th. They were both well inside the top half of the 34 finishers.

After falling over at the London Championships when in fifth place, Lucillo Burrell decided to go out in front to keep out of trouble. The only problem was that he also went off course and by the time he got back he had lost five places. Dispirited, he jogged home in sixth place.

Under 11 Girls 1400m. Team 4th.

4 K Price 7:16; 9 L Dafter 7:44; 31 C Rousset 9:32.

Under 11 Boys 2450m

12 B Moon 11:34; 36 N Mahmoud 13:12.

Under 13 Girls 2450m. ‘A’ Team 1st; ‘B’ Team 4th.

1 A White 10:28; 4 L Salkeld 11:04; 6 P Poupart-Lafarge 11:17; 7 M Duer 11:20; 8 O Colegrave 11:24; 20 C Cooney-Quinn 12:23; 27 C Rousset 14:36.

Under 13 Boys 3000m.

15 B Rock 13:54.

Under 15 Boys 4200m.

11 O Weintraub 17:33; 12 N Duer 17:40.

London Youth Games, Parliament Hill, Nov 17

A strong TVH representation of at least 31 athletes braved a wet and windy day at the London Boroughs Championships. With two sixth places from Charlotte Buckley (U15) and Kate Price (U11) and six in the teens we were well represented. Then the winner of the U11 Boys race, Marcel Beaumard. came along to join the Valley. Not able to mention everyone but next best results came from India Weir 11th, Alice Harray 14th and Kosana Weir 17th in the U17W; Lucillo Burrell 15th after falling when in sixth place in the U17M; Margaux Couffon, 14th U15G; and Ava White, 14th U13G.