English Schools Cross Country Championships

This year’s English Schools Athletics Associations Cross Country Championships took place in Yorkshire and WADAC had athletes selected for the Hampshire Schools team. The Temple Newsam grounds on the outskirts of Leeds was not a place for the faint hearted as bitterly cold winds and occasional sleet ripped across the rolling fields with underfoot conditions deteriorating fast . Amid fears that the event would be called off the organisers issued a defiant statement on the morning of the race stating “This is normal cross country weather in England and the Championships will go ahead”
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nIn the Senior girls race Grace Mann got another representative county vest and ran a fine race to finish 87th out of the 323 runners completing the course. The Hampshire team managed a fantastic 3rd team position for team medals. Sam Turner turned out for Hampshire in the Intermediate boys race and ran very well to place 114tg out of 339 hardy finishers, helping the Hampshire team to a very credible 6th team placing.
nThe pairing of Aisling Dunne 103rd and Isabella Beck 111th both ran solid races in the Intermediate girls race and were 5th & 6th Hampshire scorers in their 4th team position, just outside of the medals.
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nRose Chesterfield found the going tough in the Junior girls race coming home 78th, still a very good run. Hampshire were 5th team overall. Hannah Foster was 208th position giving everything in her effort, Lily Neate also competed and was 232nd out of the 342 finishers.
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nWADAC had two runners in the Junior boys race, Doug Scally who had a storming run to place 76th to be Hampshire’s 3rd scorer and James Medley who placed 234th out of the 346 finishers with Hampshire 8TH team.