MANCHESTER AREA XC LEAGUE (MATCH 4) Tatton Park near Knutsford.
Pete Shaw
After the fourth and penultimate match at Tatton Park, Sale looks likely to medal in six of the youngest age-groups and finish 4th team in the remaining two. This is a tremendous achievement against tough opposition from twenty clubs who make this one of the most competitive leagues in the country.
Pride of place goes to the U11 boys’ team who won for the fourth successive time and have already won the league title. Well done to LIAM O’BRIEN, ISAAC REED, BEN KEELEY, (A team winners). Also DAN OAKES, JOE EYRE, ED SPARK, JOSHUA RODGERS and MATTHEW CULLEN-BROWN. Congratulations to BEN KEELEY who won the Cheshire county title last week with LIAM O’BRIEN taking silver. These two teamed up with DAN OAKES to become Cheshire team champions. Our U11 girls had their best result of the season to finish runners up to WESPA, beating Northern champions – Liverpool, and will finish third in the final standings. Well done to IMOGEN HILL, IZZY HALL OONAGH Mc MANUS, (A team). Also SIENNA JONES KATIE ROBERTSON, HANNAH SQUIBBS, FRANCESCA HEWITSON, AMBER WEBB, HANNAH FEATHERSTONE, MOLLY IRWIN, GEORGIE CONROY, JAMILIA SCHOFIELD and ANNA WILSON.
In the U13 age group we provided the individual winner in both races with SARA CLOUGH and LUKE CARRINGTON winning by comfortable margins. We also finished runners up in both team races. Well done to SARA and AVA CLOUGH, IZZY APPLEBY, (A team) with also ELLIE GILDART, MADDIE HOLT, ASH GILMORE, DARIA DWYER-ROSS, SCARLETT WRIGHT, SOPHIE ARMITAGE. LUKE, FINDLAY GODDARD and MATTHEW GARDNER (A team) with JOE SPARK, FIN DAY, ALFIE CLARE and TOM LANGTON-CLARKE. The boys who are triple Northern Champions (i.e. road relay, cross-country relays and cross-country) will finish 2nd and the girls 4th overall in the league.
Our U15 girls’ team of JASMINE REED, LIBBY HILL and CARMEN SAFRANAUSKAUS finished 3rd team and, with three previous team victories, have now won the team title. Our U15 boys’ team of JACK SPARK 7th, CHARLIE TITTENSOR 9th and LUKE CHINOY finished 3rd team and are likely to finish 3rd. WILL PARKER, GEORGE NOBLE and JOSH COLQUHOUN-LYNN ran well to finish 2nd B team.
Our U17 men’s squad of GEORGE SAFRANAUSKAS 3rd, CHARLIE HOBSON and ROBBIE RIGBY finished 2nd team, with ALEX JAMES, AIDAN LYNCH and ZAC GAILLEMIN (and 1st B team) 5th, and will finish 4th overall. We are in the lead in the U17 women’s league but must finish a team in the final match if we are to medal and must beat Salford to win. GEORGIA HEATH and LUCY ARMITAGE ran but we did not finish a team. On a positive note I must commend the team spirit shown by the junior section of the club with a total of 90 young athletes representing the club in the league so far. One more match to go - let’s go for a hundred!
CAT WALSH had a great run in the W17-19 category for 1st place, along with CHIARA YOUNG and MIA GIBBONS to achieve 2nd team. No men’s team U20 on this occasion. The women’s 20 to 34 section was strong with HANNAH BROWN 1st in the scoring athletes with SOPHIE WOOD 2nd. In the W35-39 section HAYLEY ASHBY was running well for 6th place followed by EMMA FINNEY in 8th. The 40-44 group was well represented with ZOE GMEREK 4th, HELEN ARMITAGE 5th, CLAIRE MC CARRON 7th and SUZY SMITH 11th. W45-49 saw ANNE CHINOY 2nd, JAN NICHOLS 17th and SIMONE FISHER 18th. In the W55-59 LYNDA ROWLINSON was 11th and JACKIE CORDINGLEY 1st in the over 60s.
The open ladies team prize was won by Sale Harriers with HANNAH BROWN, SOPHIE WOOD, CAT WALSH and AMY MIDDLEMAST. The B team were 6th with HAYLEY, ANNE, EMMA, and CHIARA. C team 8th including ZOE, HELEN, JANE THOMAS and LYDIA BRIGGS. Our lady vets team came 2nd featuring HAYLEY, ANNE and EMMA with our B team 6th with ZOE, HELEN and CLAIRE.
Men 20-39. NICK BARRY was 5th. M 45-49. GAZ RAVEN 3rd, STEVE MC CARRON 6th. The unstoppable NICK PEACH was showing his pedigree with 6th in the M 55-59 section and MIKE CURLEY refusing to let age be a hindrance taking first place in the over 70 category. There are many athletes 20 years your junior who would love to be running as fast as you.
Senior Men.
We got the victory with NICK BARRY, NATHAN HARRISON, ALEX BRADFORD, KEN HUNT, DAVID RICH and GARETH RAVEN. Our B team were 9th with SAM ASPINWALL, STEVE MC CARRON, ANDY CARLIN, RICHARD EDWARDS, CHRIS DONNELLY and TOM STEVENSON. Our vets were beaten to 2nd place by Chorlton. GARETH RAVEN, STEVE MC CARRON, EDDIE and CHRIS. B team were 7th.
