Youngsters battle for honours in Leeds on the re-scheduled cross-country occasion
The highest colleges within the nation descended on Leeds on Saturday (March 1) for ‘take two’ of the English Faculties Cross Nation Cup Last, which had been dramatically postponed by the onset of Storm Darragh in December, Isla Masson reviews.
It was definitely worth the wait as spring sunshine basked the fantastic setting of The Grammar College at Leeds. But it surely was final 12 months’s hosts, Woodbridge College, 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 doubtless make the Suffolk college a pressure to be reckoned with as their quick younger squad strikes up the age teams.
The undulating course round Leeds’ ample grounds was surprisingly agency given the quagmires of earlier weeks, and with distances reasonably brief, profitable junior instances have been across the eight-minute mark, which made the racing (and supporting!) reasonably hectic.
This suited Woodbridge’s Suffolk champion Dexter Marshall, whose sub-4:40 1500m tempo nobody else within the subject might match, and he got here away with a dominant victory. Charlie Porteous got here in a transparent second for Ilkley Grammar earlier than the lots streamed in – half the sphere was lined by a blanket of about 30 seconds. Woodbridge closed all 4 scorers inside 30 for a wonderful 69 factors rating, from Langley Park (97 factors) who additionally packed properly for his or her greatest ever consequence on this competitors, whereas Taunton accomplished a southern podium with 108 factors.
Woodbridge have been much more dominant within the junior women’, clinching their title with 60 factors. Jess Thake had twice come second on the nation this 12 months at Yorkshire and Northern Champs respectively, and now went one higher for Silverdale. Subsequent have been West Kirby Grammar’s Beddow twins, who have been cut up by Polly Warman of Millfield Prep. Warman’s team-mates backed her up properly for staff silver, pipping women’ powerhouse Guildford Excessive. However they have been well-beaten by Woodbridge’s wonderful packing, modestly described by their essential fourth scorer Ella Knight, who mentioned: “Our staff stayed collectively and ran a superb race”. Main scorer India Johnson added: “The final stretch was arduous. It was mentally very powerful.”
The intermediate boys’ race was a good affair, solely three factors separating the highest three groups (and with solely one other 5 factors again to fourth), and once more a really tight midfield meant that a couple of seconds misplaced or gained had vital affect on the staff consequence. Though they didn’t have anybody within the high 20, it was a superb staff effort by Bournemouth College, who positioned all their six runners from twenty fourth to thirty ninth, exemplifying the staff side of this occasion. Middlesex challengers St Paul’s misplaced out on the ultimate counter, with the same story 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 a good time with their ‘frog hop’ (Dave Woodhead)
Guildford Excessive have been the staff to beat lately on the ladies’ aspect, and having received the junior women’ in successive years it was no shock to see them now regain their intermediate title. They did so in some model with a one-two for Kitty Scott and Poppy Visitor, in a repeat of their Southern consequence for his or her membership, Aldershot, Farnham and District.
The senior boys’ occasion was all the time prone to change into an illustration by the south-east’s sixth type schools, Farnborough and Godalming, the one query was whether or not they might get their high runners to prove at this busy time of 12 months. For Godalming, they have been one brief, and by no means appeared like difficult, however for Sixth Kind Faculty Farnborough, it was a convincing ‘sure’, and after the Millfield pair of Nate Floor and Tom Webb had made the early operating, Owen Smith and Jacob Pearce broke away expectedly.
forty third English Faculties’ A.A. XC Cup Last at The Grammar College at Leeds – Senior Boys race first few finishers @TheGSAL @SchoolAthletics pic.twitter.com/kigmIwsAXm
— Woodentops (@WoodentopsFR) March 1, 2025
Smith had been in higher type, clinching the SE Faculties’ Inter-County, and he left Pearce within the last mile, and they didn’t have to attend lengthy for his or her team-mates who closed inside 12. Dillon Millard got here by means of for third for an additional faculty getting in on the act, Richard Huish, Taunton. The early Millfield leaders could have pale, however their latter scorers got here by means of properly for staff silver (75 factors) whereas the Ilkley Grammar squad, utilizing their native information having received the regional last on this course, delivered an excellent lead to third (85 factors).
With round 4000 college students on their books, and the well-known AFD provide chain on faucet, Farnborough are on the apex of what threatens to change into a two-tier competitors, which organisers won’t have had in thoughts once they opened up the senior occasions three years in the past; many sports activities separate out college and faculty competitions.
Katie Pye (centre) with Evey Powell (left) and Zoe Gilbody (Dave Woodhead)
This subject doesn’t but appear to have change into a characteristic of the senior women’ competitors, which however was a top quality affair. Essex champion Olivia Forrest (New Corridor) surged into the lead however pale mid-race. This left the way in which for Southern champion and junior worldwide Katie Pye to clinch the win, however, much like the SE Regional Last, her Guildford Excessive team-mates have been too far again.
It was the same story for second placer Zoe Gilbody’s Thomas Telford’s squad. So it was with delight for Headington’s Evey Powell who ran her greatest cross nation race up to now in third, and main her Oxfordshire College to their first title with 86 factors, from Highgate (107 factors) and Millfield (110).
Faculties solely want to attend 9 months till the following Cup Last, 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 Kind 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 Women: 1 Ok Scott (Guildford) 10:41; 2 P Visitor (Guildford) 10:46; 3 S Smith (Coopers) 10:51
TEAM: 1 Guildford Excessive College 19; 2 Chelmsford County 107; 3 New Corridor 113
Junior Women: 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
Full outcomes right here.
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