Frank Tickner finished 47th in what was his 5th appearance at the European XC Championships. TeamGB had one of its best Championships with a number of individual and team medals to top the medals table with 9 overall. Frank’s next target is to continue to develop his form in the British Cross Challenge races, whilst starting to build towards the South of England Championships (Jan 25th) and then the National XC Championships in February, where he has won twice before (2007 & 2009).
Whilst Frank was in Belgrade, his dad Ed was one of almost 70 Wells Harriers at the Somerset Cross Country Championships combined with the Gwent League, held at University of Bath. Ed has promised to send a photo of his V60 Somerset County Gold medal to Frank to spur him on! (Also see photos by Al Thorner in right column)
Racing in good conditions on the dry course, the Harriers came away with 9 of the individual Gold medals on offer, missing out only on 4. That’s some good running and all augurs well for the team which has gold medal winning athletes from age 11 through to 61.We await the final times and positions in the Gwent League but we are also sure that bolstered by the efforts of those Club members not eligible for the County Champs we will have some good individual and team positions in the Gwent League (after 3 fixtures). If we can get such good numbers out at the South west xc Championships (Jan 5th – see below) we should be sure of team medals there : 4 to count.
First up at the races were the ‘novices’ in the u11s development races over a 1.9km course – one big lap including the long downhill stretch followed by the long uphill. William Carr led the way for the boys with his 7.15 clocking, whilst David Sidman was close with 7.31. In the girls equivalent race Abbie Carr was first Somerset runner home in 7.03 with team-mates Lilly Clarke, 7.35, Tilly Cox-Thompson, 8.32, and Jasmine Caley, 8.36. That’s some good running by all.
Then came the u13 boys race where the first of the Somerset Golds was won for the Harriers by Niall Caley in a nippy time of 10.05 for the 2.8km course. Dylan Dukes was next in, close behind, with 10.10, then Harrison Jones, Luke Macpherson, 10.20 and Ollie Thorner 10.21, Chris Ellis 10.32,Kieran Ensor 11.02; Will Pate 11.13; Ben Hoskings,11.13 and Tom Loader 11.31. A number of these boys were running for the Harriers in a team event for the first time and they coped well with the step up in competition. Tom Loader in particular took the decision to compete in this age group rather than the novices race, even though he was eligible for that, in order to get some tougher competition.
In the u13 girls race we had another great squad of junior Harriers out competing, and once again we had a Gold medal winner in the County Championships. First home for Somerset and 2nd overall in the race was Elena Sidman, in 10.08. in 8th place in the race was Harriet Fox in 10.41, then 11th Elise Thorner 10.43, 48th Connie Little, 12.02, 59th Rachel Packard 12.30, 73rd Georgia Rogers 13.28, 76th Jess Ainsworth 13.46.
The u15 boys race was over the longer course of 3.9k with Harrier James Bridge picking the next of the Somerset Golds with his time of 12.27. Team-mate Bradley Seager gained the County bronze with 12.43. Johnny Ellis was next in for the Harriers with 13.11 then a whole phalanx of team-mates; Josh Thorne; Finn Day and Alex Williams, followed by Joseph Davies and Joe Heath (times and Gwent positions tbc).
In the u15 girls race Caitlin Carnegie made her debut for the Harriers and came away with County Silver with her time of 14.02. Caitlin was 9th overall in the Gwent League positions. Lucy Baldwin was 16th in a time of 14.39, Kirsty Jenkins 25th in 15.12; Amy D’Arcy 30th in 15.33; Natasha Jones 39th ;and Jodie Mitchell 44th in 17.17.
The County Gold medal sequence was recommenced when Oliver Fox won the u17 men’s County Gold and Isobel Glaisher the u17 women’s Gold. In Isobel’s race which was a joint u17s/u20s race, Isobel managed to run clear and came home in 16.29 with team-mate Emily Smith claiming Somerset Gold as first u20 woman with her 16.52. Next in for the Harriers were Rebecca Carver 18.53 to pick up Somerset bronze u20, and Lilly Hawkins 19.14, with Hermione Toomey next in 19.42 claiming bronze for Wiltshire County.
Oliver led all the way for the u17 men gaining Gold over the 5.9km course in 17.17. Next in for the Harriers was Sam Sommerville celebrating his birthday with a great run to finish with Silver in the County Champs, and Luke Prior making it a clean sweep with his Bronze medal placing. Sam was 17.49 and Luke 18.24. Philip Bridge picked up County bronze for the u20s with his 18.39 with Sam Bedford next in 19.37, with Felix Rusby close behind in 19.50.
For the women Debbie Glover ran off with the County Gold in a time of 22.51 for the 5.9k course with team-mate Katrina Prior not too far behind picking up Silver in 23.04.
The headline for the men’s race is that Jon James skipped the shopping in Bath to finish 19th in the field of over 400 runners and Steve Masters kept the Gold rush going picking up 1st V50 with his 74th place. Ed Tickner was in 236th when gaining his V60 Gold.
Also collecting a County award were Damien Pick & Geoff Cole, silver & bronze in the V40s; Graham Goldsmid with silver in the v50s and Pete Wright bronze in the V60s. Positions and times for the seniors: 19th Jon James 34.08; 74th Steve Masters 36.41; 87th Tom Dukes 37.06; 108th Tim Hawkins 37.21; 178th Graham Goldsmid 39.40; 208th Damien Pick 40.15; 236th Ed Tickner 41.22; 269th Simon Arnold 43.00; 301st Geoff Cole 44.52; 345th Rex Whitcombe 47.32; 350th Adrian Bridge 48.05. Well done all on that great team performance. After three League fixtsures the Harrier mens teams are: Senior Men - 6th in Div 1; V40 4th; V50 3rd; V60 10th. In the individual rankings Steve Masters is 2nd overall V50. Two more fixtures to go in the Gwent League. Watch out for the possibility that the Feb fixture may be switched from the Saturday to Sunday - to be confirmed.
The County AA Championships was co-ordinated for the 6th and final year by Paul and his thanks and the County AA’s thanks to the finish line crew of Hannah, Julia, Clive, and Helen and help on the day from John, Chris and from some of the Taunton AC members. Well done to the Harrier team managers for coping with the record number of Harrier competitors.
County results wil appear on the County website when added buy the County webmaster http://www.somerset-athletics.co.uk/
Gwent League results will appear here when available: http://www.gwent-league.org.uk/2013/res133.htm
If you entered, and were unable to compete at, the County Championships then please pay your team manager/at training this next week. Final call for entries to the South Wests and Southerns is THIS FRIDAY 13th. If you can offer a lift to the Southerns then pleaae let us know so that we can get all of our talented athletes there.
ENTRY LIST FOR NEXT CHAMPIONSHIP RACES:
Are there any errors or omissions on this list? Let Paul know by Friday Dec 13th at the latest.
Harrier Entries for Forthcoming Championships: Som Sws Southerns Nationals
- Jasmine Caley (u11g) Y
- Lilly Clarke (u11g) Y Y
- Tilly Cox-Thompson(u11g) Y
- Amelia MacDonald (u11g) Y N N
- Abbie White (u11g) Y Y
- William Carr (u11b) Y Y
- Ryan Macpherson(u11b) Y Y N
- William McCloskey(u11b) N (gwent) N N
- David Sidman(u11b) Y Y N
- Jess Ainsworth (u13g) Y Y
- Daisy Davies (u13g) Y
- Connie Little (u13g) Y Y
- Harriet Fox (u13g) Y Y Y
- Rachel Packard (u13g) Y Y
- Georgia Rogers (u13g) Y Y Y
- Elena Sidman (u13g) Y Y N
- Elise Thorner (u13g) Y Y Y
- Luke Baker (u13b) N (gwent) N N
- George Biss (u13b) N N Y Y
- Niall Caley (u13b) Y Y
- Dylan Dukes(u13b) Y Y Y(tbc)
- Kieran Ensor (u13b) Y Y
- Chris Ellis (u13b) Y Y N
- Ben Hoskings (u13b) Y Y
- Harrison Jones (u13b) N (gwent) Y N
- Tom Loader (u13b) Y Y
- Luke Macpherson(u13b) Y Y Y
- Joe McCloskey (u13b) N (gwent) N N
- Will Pate (u13b) Y Y
- Ollie Thorner (u13b) Y Y
- Lucy Baldwin (u15g) Y Y Y
- Caitlin Carnegie (u15g) Y
- Amy D’Arcy (u15g) Y Y Y
- Natasha Jones(u15g) N (gwent) Y N
- Kirsty Jenkins (u15g) Y
- Jodie Mitchell (u15g) Y Y
- Michael Biss (u15b) N Y Y Y
- James Bridge(u15b) Y Y N
- Finnian Day (u15b) Y
- Joseph Davies (u15b) Y
- Oliver Dickinson(u15b) Y Y Y
- Johnny Ellis (u15b) Y Y N
- Joe Heath (u15b) Y Y
- George Mallinson (u15b) Y Y N
- Bradley Seager (u15b) Y Y Y(stc)
- Josh Thorne (u15b) Y Y N
- Ieuan Watkins (u15b) Y Y
- Alex Wiliams (u15b) Y
- Charlotte Baker (u17w) N (gwent) N Y
- Isobel Glaisher (u17w) Y Y Y
- Oliver Fox (u17m) Y Y Y
- Jonathan Greenwood(u17m) N (gwent) Y
- Charlie Martin (u17m) Y N N
- Luke Prior (u17m) Y Y Y
- Felix Rusby (u17m) Y tbc
- Sam Sommerville (u17m) Y Y Y
- Rebecca Carver (u20w) Y Y Y
- Lilly Hawkins (u20w) Y Y N
- Emily Smith (u20w) Y Y Y
- Hermione Toomey (u20w) N (Wilts/gwent)
- Sam Bedford (u20m) Y Y
- Philip Bridge (u20m) Y Y Y
- Stuart Buckingham (u20) N Y Y
- Matthew Dickinson (u20) Y Y Y
- Rocky Harrison N N Y
- Kieran Young (u20) Y Y Y Y
- Sam Baker (Sw) N (gwent) N N
- Julia Dukes (Sw) Y N
- Debbie Glover (Sw) Y tbc
- Cath Goldsmid (Sw) Y Y Y
- Gill Harrison N N Y
- Katrina Prior (Sw) Y Y Y
- Paul Allen N Y Y Y
- Simon Arnold N (gwent) Y
- Jack Bancroft Y tbc tbc tbc
- Neil Biss N Y Y Y
- Adrian Bridge Y N N
- Paul Chadwick Y Y
- Geoff Cole Y Y Y
- Andrew Deamer Y Y Y
- Steve Dickinson Y Y Y
- Tom Dukes Y Y Y
- Jon Gilling Y Y Y Y
- John Glaisher N Y
- Graham Goldsmid Y Y
- Tim Hawkins N(gwent) tbc tbc tbc
- Crispian Macpherson Y Y Y
- Steve Masters Y Y Y Y
- Damien Pick Y
- Simon Prior Y Y Y
- Jon Rowe N Y
- Ed Tickner Y N Y
- Anthony Watts N Y
- Rex Whitcombe Y Y Y
- Pete Wright Y tbc
- Nathan Young Y Y Y Y
Anything need correcting or adding? Advise Paul & your team manager