Young Athletes battle the elements at NWLYAL XC
Not the day for the faint-hearted to run cross country. With a snow shower just before the start of the meeting. The races were round the outskirts of the Bannister Stadium. Some of the cars which parked in the adjoining field managed to get stuck in the mud. Luckily the athletes didn’t get stuck although the course was very wet.
Roy Clarridge reports:
In the first race, the under 11 girls race our two girls did very well and Kate Prices’s fifth place was her best result so far. Lily Dafter also ran well for her 16th place out of 33 competitors.
Charlotte Cooney-Quinn also had her best result this winter when she finished eighth and Melina Duer was having her first outing and finished a very good 17th. What a race to choose for a first run! The under 15 girls delegated Kosana Weir, first; Verity Walker, second and Alice Harray, third to go out there and win the team race. They all stuck to the task and Kosana gradually opened up a lead and Alice chased Verity all the way round. While Rose Barkle almost made it a clean sweep with her fifth place when she caught the fourth girl only for her to draw away on the last lap. Let’s hope that all the under 15s run in the Met League next Saturday and help the team to get back and win the overall trophy.
For the boys, Basil Rock almost won the under 11 race. He led for the first half but was then passed only for him to have a very strong finish for second place. Otto Huber also ran well for his 25th place out of 46 boys. After his magnificent third place in the London Schools Championships on Parliament Hill at its worst, the under 15 race was a doddle for Lucillo. He led from the start and on the second of the three laps eased away to win by five seconds. Bravely Oliver Weintraub battled round to finish 14th.
The results of the London School Championships have not appeared yet but TVH were well represented and several others will be in the team along with Lucillo.
Under 11 Girls. 1200m. Team 6th.
5 K Price 6:32; 16 l Dafter 7:08.
Under 11 Boys 2000m. Team 7th.
2 B Rock 8:59; 25 O Huber 10:35.
Under 13 Girls 2000m. Team 5th.
8 C Cooney-Quinn 10:31; 17 M Duer 11:11.
Under 15 Girls. 3000m. Team 1st.
1 K Weir 13:22; 2 V Walker 13:29; 3 A Harray 13:39; 5 R Barkle 14:06.
Under 15 Boys. 4000m. Team 3rd.
1 l Burrell 15:22; 14 O Weintraub 17:47.