Yorkshire Cross Country Champs – Saturday 5^th January 2008

Young Athletes

Fartown, Huddersfield hosted this year’s Championships on a cold and windy day, but we were lucky in that the rain held off all day. The course was heavy underfoot with a testing hill to contend with, but the athletes gave us some superb team results backed up with individual performances the club can be proud of.

The U13 Girls started the day and got us off to a wonderful start by winning the team gold medal. Hannah Fletcher (3^rd), Claire Wilsher (4^th) and Fiona Bell (11^th) were the scoring team. Other finishers were Hannah Malgren (19^th), Rachel Coulson (37^th), Alice Hague (45^th), Remmie Cockerel (46^th) and Rebecca Taylor (67^th). Well done girls, and congratulations to Hannah Fletcher and Claire Wilsher on their Yorkshire selection.

In the U15 girls event, our first girl back was Calli Thackery (4^th), who also gained Yorkshire selection. The girls emulated their younger colleagues by also winning the team gold medal: Laurel Quinn (14^th) and Frances Wilkie (16^th) completing the scoring members. Ellie Bishop (18^th) Stephanie Watson (42^nd) and Stephanie Rodgers (54^th) completed the Hallamshire contingent. Well done.

Disappointingly, no U13 Boys competed and only two U15 Boys – Justin Boyd (31^st) and Tom Hutton (33^rd) - finished.

A strong run by Kelly Hewitson in the U17 Women saw her finish 5^th and another Yorkshire selection. Supported by Kate Russell (10^th) and Hayley Transfield (12^th), the team took the silver medal. Nicola Birch (14^th) and Fiona Wiles (23^rd) were the other finishers.

The U17 Men just missed out on the medals, finishing in 4^th place. Harry Thorpe (12^th), Richard Spooner (13^th), Matthew Wilsher (31^st) and Frank Thorpe (27^th) being the competitors.

With such a strong base, we can look forward to the Northern Championships at Roundhay Park, Leeds on 26^th January, and hope for some equally good performances.

Mandy Newton

YA XC Team Manager