It’s championship gold for Murdoch
STOCKPORT’S Freya Murdoch showed beyond any doubt she can make the transition from primary schools cross country racing to the big stage with a fine performance at Sefton Park, Liverpool at the weekend.
Competing in the British athletics cross country league, which showed off the cream of the crop of the athletes from all four of the home nations, Murdoch had her work cut out with a cluster of very close finishes in the under 11 girls’ race.
But she got her just reward in the form of the gold medal as Harriet Bain of Liverpool Harriers (1st – 7:20), Sophie Bohannor of Lytham St Annes (2nd – 7:25) were competing in a league competition in the same race, so our intrepid representative took the championship gold position in 7:26 after the other league results had been stripped out and this will prove to be a useful experience for her for many years to come.
Plane tickets were up for grabs in the senior and junior mens and womens events for the Spar European cross country championships taking place in Chia, Italy this forthcoming weekend and one name upon the ticket will be Stockport Harriers 10,000 metre Olympic specialist, Ross Millington who finished in fourth position in 29:02 with his nemesis Andy Vernon just one second ahead (29:01) in third spot.
The race was easily sewn up by Central AC’s 5,000 metre Olympian Andy Butchart, who stormed to a winning finish in 28:37 leaving a trail well behind for the minor places with these persons and more helping to contribute to the 36 person British team being flown over to Italy.
Stockport’s Jack Martin continued to impress and finished ninth senior man in 29:36 out of a large field of 632 runners whilst Katie Waterworth took 19th spot in the under 20s ladies’ race in 15:40 and will be using the event as a test run for bigger events later on in the cross country season.
The indoor athletics season is now in full swing with team Stockport making it’s presence felt at the recent Harriers’ promoted quadrathlon competition at Sport City with Jack Doodson just missing out by a single point in the boys’ under 13’s event but still taking a well earned runner’s up spot.
Lola Unsworth went one better and was champion in the under 11s competition and with able support from club mates Seren Redfern who took the runner’s up medal and Saffron Meade who closed down in fifth for the four event competition which is the starting block for those who wish to eventually participate in the heptathlon event in years to come.
Saturday sees the Christmas edition of the Stockport Harriers primary schools cross country league meetings and is the third in the series which starts at 10.30am from the Woodbank Athletics facility.
Organiser John Wharf will be hoping once more for a field in excess of 300 competitors as happened at the previous promotion and there’s all to play for yet in every age group as the half way stage is accomplished.