Winning start to the season
Isobel Cotterill opened her cross country season with an impressive victory in the inter girls’ race at the Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Schools’ Championships.
The Hayesfield School student made the headlines in the summer when she won the silver medal in the junior girls’ 1,500m at the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships.
Interestingly the teenager, who is a member of Team Bath AC where she is coached by Mark Thomas, hasn’t raced since then, taking a break from formal athletics training, but she is active in several other sports including hockey and football for Bath City so her overall fitness is clearly terrific.
“Isobel might do a few more cross country races but probably just the school ones,” said Thomas.
The Avon Schools’ Championships are scheduled for Saturday January 22 in Bristol with the South West Schools’ at Chippenham on February 5 and finally the English Championships in Kent on Saturday March 19.
Cotterill will be joined in the BANES team for the county championships by training partners Erin Shepherd and her fellow Royal High School student Lottie Silverton.
The pair, who are also in Thomas’ coaching group, finished second and third respectively to lead the Royal High squad to the inter girls’ team title.
Another Team Bath AC member who struck gold was Writhlington’s Joe Markey, who won the inter boys’ race from Jasper Cox of St Gregory’s with Prior Park College student James Trevith third.
Joe Milton continued his fine autumn form to win the senior boys’ race. The Beechen Cliff School student, who lives in Bradford-on-avon, was too strong for team-mate Lawrence Martindale as they enjoyed a one-two with Monkton Combe’s Tom Ellis-ricketts third.
“Joe is a good lad and he is better at cross country than he thinks he is,” said Steve Williams, who is his coach at Avon Valley Runners.
Milton has already run personal bests over 5k on the road (16:43) and the Southwick parkrun (17:34), which he won outright in October. Recently he also made the top ten at the English Schools’ Cup South West Regional Final.
Wellsway School had two champions with Amy Nicholls lifting the senior girls’ title and Holly Sanigar winning the junior girls’ race.
Sanigar will be one to watch this winter as two years ago she finished seventh in the minor girls’ age group at the South West Championships and while the 2021 championships were cancelled she is now top year in the junior age group and all being well should feature prominently.
Kingswood School’s Charlie Haines showed good form to win the junior boys’ race and also led the school to the team title, one of three their stu- dents picked up – along with two silvers - making them the most successful school at the event.
Other winners included Hayesfield’s Polly Pennicott and Raffi Budd of KES in the minor age group races.
■ FRESH from a solid third in the Avebury 9-miles terrain race the previous weekend, Team Bath’s Emily Griffiths extended her good form with second spot in the Yarnbury Yomp 10k off-road race.
Griffiths completed the course in a time of 46mins 56secs for 22nd pace overall of the 98 runners. Clubmate Niall Urquhart was ninth overall (42:46) and second veteran over 50.
■ ALL three Team Bath women in the AVR Wiltshire half marathon finished inside two hours with Emma Hatherley (21st, 1:44.09) just finishing ahead of Georgie Wells (22nd and sixth veteran over 40, 1:44.45). Atonia White was 54th (1:59.42).
■ IN the Oulton Park 10k Colin Apps was eight veteran over 40 in 47:43.
■ THE Bath Skyline Park Run cancelled due to the high winds and risk of falling trees on the course.
■ The athletics coverage in the Chron is sponsored by Running Bath.