Ewan eyes nationals challenge after regional success
EWAN Sparey will lead the Avon challenge at the English Schools Cross Country Championships next month after defending his regional title in superb style.
The 14-year-old Bristol & West AC athlete, who was representing Avon Schools, continued his unbeaten start to 2024 with a terrific win in the junior boys’ race at the South West Schools Championships, held at RNAS Merryfield, Somerset.
“I tried to pace it with the leading pack and quickly broke away with the then leader (Oscar Purchase of Devon),” said Sparey, describing the race on Saturday.
“Then on the second lap I was able to pull away from him.”
By the finish Sparey had opened a comfortable nine seconds advantage on Purchase, with the bronze medallist another six seconds adrift.
Sparey, who mixes his running with a keen interest in triathlon, will now go on to the national championships in Pontefract on March 16 not only in good form but also in buoyant spirits, giving him every chance to make a significant improvement on the 44th place he achieved as a first-year junior in 2023.
“I am really looking forward to the nationals,” added Sparey. “My cross country season is coming together well with the help of my coach Rob Draper, who has supported me hugely and is helping me to plan my training outside of the club, too.”
In the same race, Bristol & West AC club-mate Freddie Barnes, who won silver in the minor boys age group last year, showed good form and determination to finish 17th.
“It was a great result for Freddie as he started seventh in the pen yet finished second Avon and was only six seconds behind Oscar Beck, who won the South West Clubs title and is leading the Gwent League,” said his coach Alison Hurford.
Barnes, too, should join Sparey in the Avon team for the nationals along with Elijah Buscemi, who finished 27th and fourth scorer in the squad that won the silver team medals.
Ishmael Bradley was Avon’s leading runner in the senior boys’ race, placing 13th with club-mates Nick Pestell 27th and Ollie RobertsonKurd 39th. All will be hoping to be named in the Avon team for the nationals.
In the other races, Jospeh Cooke was 37th in the inter boys’ race and Elliott Colclough 29th in the minor boys’ age group.
Lola Simpson (18th), Mairi Carver-Brown (21st) and Darcy Simpson (23rd) all ran strongly in the junior girls’ race, while Molly Thomas was 30th in the senior girls’ age group and Gabriela Ritter Sherratt came 38th in the inters. South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships, RNAS Merryfield, Ilton, Somerset (all Avon Schools unless stated):
Senior boys – teams: 1 Somerset 60. 5 Avon 148 (13 Ishmael Bradley; 14 Murray Pearson; 23 Thomas Darton; 27 Nick Pestell; 32 Alex Hearn; 39 Oliver Robertson-Kurd). Others: 43 Tom Moreton; 48 Toby Davies. Inter boys – teams: 1 Devon 70; 2 Wiltshire 91; 3 Avon 136 (9 Stanley Wyatt; 11 Ben Collins; 25 Thomas Cummins; 26 Archie Enstone; 30 Charlie Haines; 35 Reuben Wadey). Others: 37 Joseph Cook; 39 Leo Darlington; 47 Owen Dix; 61 Ferdie Goddard. Junior boys – individuals: 1 Ewan Sparey (Avon) 9:11; 2 Oscar Purchase (Devon) 9:19; 3 Ollie Wheatland (Wilts) 9:25.
Teams: 1 Devon 56; 2 Dorset 99; 3 Avon 116 (1 Sparey; 17 Freddie Barnes; 18 Noah McClelland-Lofters; 20 Adam Hordern; 27 Elijah Buscemi; 33 Olly Smith). Others: 35 Alexander Rice; 53 Dillon Scott.
Minor boys – individuals: 1 Jack Shingler (Glos) 8:40; 2 Alistair Spurr (Glos) 8:43; 3 Zac Fleming (Avon) 8:49.
Teams: 1 Somerset 93. 5 Avon 119 (3 Fleming; 5 Oliver Finch; 12 Killy Faubel; 29 Elliot Colclough; 30 Sam Baker; 40 Vinnie Brooks). Others: 55 Harrison Maher; 58 Arthur Allen; 59 Ellis Hurd.
Senior girls – individuals: 1 Innes Fitzgerald (Devon) 12:15; 2 Freya Bradley (Avon) 13:20; 3 Holly Reid (Corn) 13:32.
Teams: 1 Devon 72. 5 Avon 160 (2 Bradley; 13 Laura Chance; 18 Talia Hughes; 30 Molly Thomas; 44 Emily Hersch; 53 Hannah Strachan). Others: 56 Megan Orris; 57 Liv Stuart-Hunt.
Inter girls – teams: 1 Gloucestershire 43. 7 Avon 257 (34 Felicity Lowe; 38 Gabriela Ritter Sherratt; 42 Holly Massey-Jones; 43 Amelia Sinclair; 49 Poppy Swarbrook; 51 Ellie Weston). Others: 58 Aila Fereday; 59 Isabella Williams; 63 Francesca Poore. Junior girls – teams: 1 Devon 59. 4 Avon 154 (18 Lola Simpson; 21 Mairi CarverBrown; 23 Darcy Simpson; 27 Tilly Coomber; 28 Polly Williams; 42 Millie Pope). Others: 56 Eve Ward; 64 Amir Chowdhury Barratt. Minor girls – individuals: 1 Elizabeth Hutchings (Avon) 9:38; 2 Pollyanna Warman
(Somerset) 9:47; 3 Megan Cowley (Glos) 9:50.
Teams: 1 Dorset 78; 2 Avon 95 (1 Hutchings; 9 Bea Reveler; 17 Jasmine Fry; 20 Katherine Osborn; 21 Iris Beazley-Long; 27 Esther Haimes). Others: 39 Cora Lambourne; 47 Leila Belle Shipway; 48 Blythe Martineau; 3 Devon 115.
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