26 January 2008

The territorial cross country championships today provided ample evidence that the pace is hotting-up as athletes prepare to battle for places in the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships to be staged in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, on March 30.

Double European Junior Cross Country Champion Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) is pre-selected and scored a routine victory in the South of England Championships at Parliament Hill to follow her exceptional run a fortnight ago into fourth place in the Senior Women’s race at the BUPA Great Edinburgh International.

Of her team-mates in last month’s European Championships – when Norwich Union GB&NI won a record number of eight medals – 18-year-old Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester AC) received special dispensation to contest the Senior Women’s race at the Midland Championships at Royal Leamington Spa. She finished a strong third behind former GB Junior international Hannah Whitmore (Charnwood AC), who set out to finish “anywhere better than eighth, which I’ve been in my other two Midland Senior races” and drove through from fourth to first in the final, muddiest part of the race; and steeplechaser Tina Brown (Coventry Godiva Harriers).

The other Senior Women’s races suggest there’ll be a massive battle in the trials at the CAU UK Inter-Counties Championships in Nottingham’s Wollaton Park on 15 March.

Gemma Miles (Kendal AC) romped home in the Northern Championships at Roundhay Park, Leeds, well clear of European Under 23 gold medallist Sarah Tunstall (Kendal AAC), GB Senior reserve Carly Needham (Rochdale Harriers) and the reigning Northern champion Hatti Dean (Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield), who has become something of a fixture in the international team.

And in the South, Rachel Townend – inspired by her great run for England in Spain recently – took the title ahead of her more experienced Winchester and District club mate Louise Damen.

Frank Tickner (Wells City Harriers), who swept all before him last winter, won the Southern Men’s title from European Under 23 Bronze medallist Andy Vernon (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC).

The other two Senior Men’s races went well for Leeds City a week before they represent the UK in the European Champion Clubs Cross Country Championships: David Webb scored an impressive win over internationals Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers) and Tom Lancashire (Bolton United Harriers) in the Northerns while James Walsh earned his third Midlands title.

There were many fallers in the ditches that criss-cross part of the Midlands course, including Emma Jackson (City of Stoke AC), the European Junior 800m Silver medallist. But that did not stop her leading all the way in the Junior Women’s race. Neither did the unexpected success persuade her to change her schedule and head for the Inter-Counties: “I shall be in Portugal for two weeks of warm weather training,” she smiled.

Northern Cross Country Championships leaders –

Senior Men (12km): 1 David Webb (Leeds City) 37:07; 2 Steve Vernon (Stockport Harriers) 37:14; 3 Tom Lancashire (Bolton United Harriers) 37:21; 4 Andi Jones (Salford Harriers) 37:29; 5 Matt Watson (Bingley) 38:12; 6 Simon Deakin (Leeds City) 38:14. Teams: 1 Leeds City AC 71; 2 Sale Harriers Manchester 155; 3 Liverpool Harriers 249.

Senior Women (8km): 1 Gemma Miles (Kendal AC) 27:04; 2 Sarah Tunstall (Kendal AAC) 27:25; 3 Carly Needham (Rochdale Harriers) 27:32; 4 Hatti Dean (Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield) 27:45; 5 Victoria Wilkinson (Bingley) 27:47; 6 Susan Partridge (Leeds City) 27:49. Teams: 1 Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield 72; 2 Bingley Harriers 73; 3 Kendal AAC 83.

Junior Men (8km): 1 Alastair Brownlee (Bingley) 24:12; 2 Jon Taylor (Morpeth) 24:48; 3 Jonathan Brownlee (Bradford Grammar School) 24:58. Teams: 1 Leeds City AC 64; 2 Morpeth Harriers 67; 3 Liverpool Harriers 110.

Junior Women (6km): 1 Mary Ferrier (Gateshead) 22:13; 2 Rosie Edwards (Rotherham Harriers) 22:13; 3 Nicola Grant (Rotherham Harriers) 22:20. Teams: 1 Rotherham Harriers 27; 2 Leigh Harriers 77; 3 Liverpool Harriers 142.

Under 17 Men (6km): 1 Jeremy Gilmour (Trafford) 19:28; 2 Philip Hurst (Elswick) 19:36; 3 Tom Farrell (Border Harriers) 19:43. Teams: 1 Wakefield District Harriers 111; 2 Sale Harriers Manchester 126; 3 Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield 160.

Under 17 Women (4.5km): 1 Blue Haywood (Lincoln Wellington) 16:10; 2 Hannah Bateson (Lancaster and Morecambe AC) 16:19; 3 Annika Jarman (Lancaster and Morecambe AC) 16:21. Teams: 1 Rotherham Harriers 72; 2 Lincoln Wellington AC 81; 3 Lancaster and Morecambe AC 109.

Under 15 Boys (4km): 1 Jamie Crompton (Horwich RMI) 12:18; 2 Michael Priestley (Gosforth Harriers) 12:23; 3 C Hulse (Sale Harriers Manchedster) 12:27. Teams: 1 Leeds City AC 103; 2 Lincoln Wellington AC 158; 3 Liverpool Pembroke and Sefton 184.

Under 15 Girls (4km): 1 Lauren Proctor (Wakefield) 13:33; 2 Holly Shreeve (Bingley) 13:34; 3 Calli Thackery (Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield) 13:42. Teams: 1 Sale Harriers Manchester 67; 2 Vale Royal AC 74; 3 East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside AC 108.

Under 13 Boys (3km): 1 Fergus Roberts (Richmond and Zetland AC) 10:02; 2 Callum Short (Bolton United Harriers) 10:23; 3 Adam Harrington (Morpeth) 10:27. Teams: 1 East Cheshire Harriers and Tameside AC) 55; 2 Liverpool Harriers 75; 3 Warrington AC 123.

Under 13 Girls (3km): 1 Hannah Bethwaite (Ellenborough AC) 11:27; 2 Bethany Jones (Leigh Harriers) 11:35; 3 Zow Hewitson (Shildon) 11:36. Teams: 1 Liverpool Harriers 108; 2 Leigh Harriers 115; 3 Kingston upon Hull AC 122.

Midland Cross Country Championships leaders –

Senior Men (12km): 1 James Walsh (Leeds City) 29:26; 2 Rory Fraser (OWLS) 29:46; 3 Lee Carey (Nuneaton Harriers) 39:51; 4 Billy Farquharson (Notts AC) 40:03. Teams: 1 Notts AC 63; 2 OWLS AC 93; 3 Bristol and West AC 138.

Senior Women (6km): 1 Hannah Whitmore (Charnwood AC) 22:08; 2 Tina Brown (Coventry Godiva) 22:18; 3 Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester AC, U20) 22:20; 4 Stacey Johnson (Cannock and Stafford AC) 22:22; 5 Wendy Nicholls (Cirencester AC, W35) 22:30; 6 Juliet Potter (Charnwood) 22:38. Teams: 1 Charnwood AC 36; 2 Telford AC 58; 3 Bristol and West AC 61.

Junior Men (8km): 1 Craig Peters (Bristol and West AC) 29:45; 2 James Trollope (Birchfield Harriers) 29:59; 3 Gaz Davies (OWLS AC) 30:27. Teams: 1 OWLS AC 33; 2 Bristol and West AC 40; 3 Coventry Godiva Harriers 58.

Junior Women (5km): 1 Emma Jackson (City of Stoke AC) 19:31; 2 Joanna Callaway (Royal Sutton Coldfield AC) 19:47; 3 Stephanie Barnes (Bristol and West AC) 19:53. Teams: 1 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 12; 2 Bristol and West AC 22; 3 Charnwood AC 25.

Under 17 Men (6km): 1 Joe Dalgleish (Westbury Harriers) 20:51; 2 Paul Thompson (Birmingham Rowheath AC) 20:56; 3 Robert Galt (Westbury Harriers) 20:57. Teams: 1 Westbury Harriers 26; 2 OWLS AC 41; 3 Westbury Harriers B 152.

Under 17 Women (5km): 1 Bessie Rollins (Kettering Town Harriers) 20:29; 2 Hannah Alderson (Westbury Harriers) 20:33; 3 Rowena Cole (Coventry Godiva Harriers) 20:37. Teams: 1 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 18; 2 Coventry Godiva Harriers 53; 3 Tipton Harriers 55.

Under 15 Boys (4km): 1 Daniel Mills (Nuneaton Harriers) 14:39; 2 Tom Curr (Stroud and District AC) 14:46; 3 Jack Gray (Birmingham Rowheath) 15:06. Teams: 1 Stroud and District AC 65; 2 Westbury Harriers 88; 3 City of Stoke AC 103.

Under 15 Girls (4km): 1 Katie Holt (City of Stoke AC) 16:02; 2 Annabel Gummow (Bristol and West) 16:05; 3 Lucy Farnell (Royal Sutton Coldfield AC) 16:35. Mansfield Harriers 40; 2 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 93; 3 Leicester Coritanian AC 108.

Under 13 Boys (3km): 1 Michael McKeown (Coventry Godiva Harriers) 12:26; 2 Stefan Ashman (OWLS AC) 12:32; 3 Harvey Brown (Halesowen C&AC) 12:36. Teams: 1 Halesowen C&AC 92; 2 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 99; 3 Coventry Godiva Harriers 107.

Under 13 Girls (3km): 1 Rebecca Robinson (Royal Sutton Coldfield AC) 13:32; 2 Mia O’Connell (Cheltenham and County Harriers) 13:58; 3 Emily Sales (Nuneaton Harriers) 14:01. Teams: 1 Leicester Coritanian 37; 2 Royal Sutton Coldfield AC 49; 3 Mansfield Harriers 114.

South of England AA Cross Country Championships leaders –

Senior Men (12km): 1 Frank Tickner (Wells City Harriers) 46:14; 2 Andy Vernon (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 46:44; 3 Keith Gerrard (Newham and Essex Beagles) 47:00; 4 Huw Lobb (Bedford and County AC) 47:41; 5 Darren Deed (Bedford and County AC) 47:47; 6 Kevin Haywood (Bristol and West AC) 47:53. Teams: 1 Bedford and County 109; 2 Newham and Essex Beagles 115; 3 Woodford Green with Essex Ladies 280.

Senior Women (8km): 1 Rachel Townend (Winchester and District AC) 31:36; 2 Louise Damen (Winchester and District AC) 31:49; 3 Rachel Felton (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) 32:25; 4 Alex Joel (Havering Mayesbrook AC) 32:35; 5 Vicky Gill (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 33:09; 6 Andrea Woodvine (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 33:11. Teams: 1 Winchester and District AC 26; 2 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 40; 3 Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers 100.

Junior Men (8km): 1 Adam Hickey (Southend-on-Sea AC) 29:02; 2 Matthew Gunby (Peterborough AC) 29:10; 3 Phillip Berntsen (Andover AC) 29:15. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 52; 2 City of Norwich AC 70; 3 Southend-on-Sea AC 100.

Junior Women (5km): 1 Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 19:07; 2 Sophie Coleman (Phoenix AC) 19:37; 3 Holly Rowland (City of Norwich AC) 19:49. Teams: 1 Winchester and District AC 38; 2 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 44; 3 Nene Valley Harriers 169.

Under 17 Men: 1 Ronnie Sparke (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) 22:04; 2 Daniel Clorley (Luton AC) 22:05; 3 Ryan Parker (Bedford and County AC) 22:29. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 65; 2 Tonbridge AC 76; 3 Luton AC 101.

Under 17 Women: 1 Beth Carter (Invicta East Kent AC) 19:46; 2 Lily Partridge (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 19:51; 3 Louise Small (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 20:16. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 32; 2 Tonbridge AC 107; 3 Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC 185.

Under 15 Boys: 1 Sean Webb (Ipswich Harriers) 17:29; 2 Richard Horton (Poole AC) 17:36; 3 Jack Goodwin (Bedford and County AC) 18:02. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 57; 2 Tonbridge AC 99; 3 Bedford and County AC 111.

Under 15 Girls: 1 Amelia Gorecka (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 16:44; 2 Melissa Hawtin (Oxford City AC) 17:08; 3 Emily Wallbank (Bedford and County AC) 17:08. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 21; 2 Bedford and County AC 110; 3 Winchester and District AC 176.

Under 13 Boys: 1 Kenneth Mason (Bedford and County AC) 11:32; 2 Charlie Allen (Hastings AC) 11:39; 3 Monty Wilson (Hastings AC) 11:44. Teams: 1 Chiltern Harriers 74; 2 Bedford and County AC 130; 3 Tonbridge AC 144.

Under 13 Girls: 1 Jessica Judd (Thurrock Harriers) 12:26; 2 Emily High-Alexander (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 12:31; 3 Emma Dixon (Brighton and Hove AC) 12:40. Teams: 1 Aldershot, Farnham and District AC 28; 2 Oxford City AC 89; 3 Guildford and Godalming AC 92.