WMYACCL Race 4 : Weddington 18/01/09
Muddy conditions can't stop the Young Athletes
The fourth race in the five race series took place in bright winter sun around a very boggy course that consisted of two ditches that threatened to swallow up the smaller athletes and proved a challenge to all. A tremendous turn out across the age groups maintained Rugby & Northampton’s overall 2nd place in the Club competition.
Under 11
Small in stature but big in determination describes the girls and with a record attendance of 19 R&N AC girls starting the race. Phoebe Ellis produced the best performance off the day across all the age groups finishing in an outstanding 2nd place closely followed by Charlotte Murphy in 5th Place who has improved in every race. Rebecca Shears was 3rd team member home in 27th, Melissa Boulter and Hannah Furniss completed the top five team places in 33rd & 36th place respectively. Ella Machin-Bradbury 46th; Ella Bromley 48th; Regen Traynor 61st; Tia Clues 66th; Natasha Pirie 71st; Lauren Peters 73rd; Milan Clues 79th; Abigail Shocklidge 84th; Flora Courtney 93rd; Emma Cormack 94th; Jessica Norris 96th; Olivia McEwan 98th; Megan Peters 99th.
The team have moved up to 3rd place – Well done Girls !!
The boys not to be outdone by the girls controlled their start line nerves and finished with 3 runners in the top 20. Led home by Eliott Moore back in form to finish 7th and strong runs by Hayden Arnall 12th and another improvement by Ben Smith in 17th place. Alexander Thomson 54th; Charles Gilling 55th; Rhys Dickinson 70th; Kyle Hyde 79th. In a very competitive field the boys have maintained their 4th place position in the team event.
Under 13
The girls most of who are in the younger half of the age group showed their grit and determination despite a couple of dramatic falls at the last ditch to maintain their team position in 8th in a field of 135 athletes. Genevieve Roberts in her first race for the club was the first home in 25th place, closely followed by the improving talent Isobel Hughes in 27th place. Alison Inwood 51st; Mary Hughes 54th; Phinolla Hindle 72nd; Georgia Elliot-King 76th; Madeleine Spellwood 80th; Emily Byrd 85th; Emma Blackwood 90th; Daisy Cummings 91st.
With only 5 runners for the boys every point counted and they performed well to hang onto 4th overall in the team competition, despite a slower start from the usually explosive Billy Bowman-Shaw and George Goodwin who finished 10th & 12th respectively. Adam Wright 28th, Jack Murphy 29th and Zac Hyde 68th boosted the team score with impressive runs in the worsening conditions.
Under 15
The girls faced two large laps of the course with course conditions worsening with every race. Charlotte Inwood still recovering from illness ran admirably to finish 16th and keep her hopes of an individual title alive. Gabriella Moriaty ran strongly to finish 21st and Eleanour Barnes keeps improving finishing 24th her best placing of the season in this series. Clarissa Blake unwittingly provided the amusement of the day by making it to the start line after the starters gun and had to run 150m to catch the other athletes and then worked her way through from the back to finish in a fantastic 33rd place just ahead of Lauren Byrd 32nd and another improvement again from Shannon Rugg to finish 35th. The team are currently in 5th place.
The boys race provided a solid performance Jack Hall & Rory-Bowman-Shaw obviously relishing the conditions ran neck and neck all the way and led the team home in 14th & 17th respectively. Robert Male improving with every race ran strongly for 31st place and Ben Jennings completed the team even after collapsing in the last 50 metres and practically crawling across the line to finish 41st. The team have been struggling for a full compliment of runners all season and are currently in 8th place.
Under 17
The girls were short of team members due to injury but Emily Waugh and Chelsea Thompson pulled together to finish in 3rd & 21st place. Emily retains her position as 2nd overall in the individual event with the team slipping to 5th place.
The last race of the day is always the U17 Men who faced 3 laps of a course that was poor conditions to start with and was now a mud bath. The commitment of the men at this age group means they have been rewarded by currently in bronze medal position in the team event. George Cardwell reproduced the form he is capable of to lead the team home in 5th place closely followed by Rory Grant in 7th who recovered from a fall at the first ditch which looked like it might lead to him withdrawing from the race. Tom Collins completed the team in 44th place.
Next Race
The final race of the series takes place at Perry Park, Birmingham on Sunday 1st March.
