ATHLETICS

GB PLACES SECURED

Liverpool Cross Country Challenge titles were won at Sefton Park where athletes secured places in the GB team for next months European Championships in Holland.

The meeting, featuring thousands of athletes, also included the trial for the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country which will be staged in Albufeira, Portugal, on February 3 and Fife AC secured the women’s representation for the UK.

A close senior women’s race saw Cardiff AC’s Charlotte Arter battle to victory. Arter, Jess Piasecki (Stockport Harriers) and Verity Ockenden (Swansea) fought for the lead which changed hands several times, but Arter prevailed taking first place in 26 minutes 10 seconds.

Fife AC were represented by Stephie Pennycook, Helen Sharpe, Jen Spence and Jennifer Cruickshanks. The Fife AC team saw off the challenge of English and Welsh representatives Tonbridge and Swansea and now will head to Portugal. It is understood it is only the second time this century a Scottish club has reached the Euro Clubs XC finals with Central AC men having been involved a few years ago.

A hotly contested women’s under-20 race saw last year’s European Cross team gold medallists Cari Hughes (Swansea) and Amelia Quirk (Bracknell AC) battle all the way with Hughes taking the tape in 14.41. Anna MacFadyen (Edinburgh Univ./ Forres) secured the final automatic European place in fifth.

Ross Millington (Stockport), a course winner in Liverpool back in 2015, was part of a five-strong leading pack that pulled clear early on in the senior men’s race, before moving swiftly through the gears and with a determined sprint finish stopped the clock at 28 minutes to claim his second win in Liverpool. Millington was chased home by Nick Goolab (Belgrave) 28.04 holding off Marc Scott (Richmond & Zetland) 28.05 and Charlie Hulson (Liverpool) 28.06.

Beatrice Wood (City of Salisbury) pulled out a dominant display to claim under-15 girls victory in the Cross-Challenge circuit timed at 10:25. Winner at Milton Keyes over a week ago, Anna Hedley (Fife AC) followed home in second place timed at 10.31 with Holly Weedall (Vale Royal AC) in third – 10:35. Valencia Wright (Giffnock North) placed 5th. Hamish Armitt (Giffnock North) won the under-17 men’s race, while there was a second place for Cera Gemmell of Team East Lothian in the under-17 Women’s race.

Isla Thoms (Fife AC) made her UK Cross Challenge debut winning the under-13 girls’ race in 11.06 pipping Isabelle Price (Wolverhampton & Bilston) by five seconds, who was a further five-seconds ahead of Sophie Dunbobbin (Wreake & Soar Valley) in third.

Detailed results in tomorrow’s Courier.

The second East of Scotland CrossCountry league at Broxburn saw Dundee Hawkhill’s Kristof Hornyik score his second under-17 men’s victory covering the 5.4km course in 19 minutes 29 seconds. Iain McWhinnie in fifth (20.11) led Fife AC to the narrowest of team wins totalling 22 points ahead of Hawkhill’s 23.

Despite missing key athletes in Liverpool, the Fife AC women still placed second team to Hunters Bog Trotters led home by second-placed Megan Crawford. Karen Kennedy in 16th led PH Racing women to team victory in the veterans’ section. Pitreavie’s best result of the day came in the under-13 girls’ race finishing second team where Anya Morrison finished second overall. Leading results: Senior Men. 8.1km. 1 M Christoforou (Edinburgh AC) 27.59, 2 A Chepelin (Edinburgh Univ.) 28.28, 3 J Crickmore (Hunters Bog Trotters) 28.49, 4 E Norbett (Ed.Univ.) 28.59, 5 S McDonald (Central AC) 29.14, 6 T White (Aberdeen AAC) 29.16. Teams. 1 Edinburgh Univ. 67, 2 Aberdeen 142, 3 Edinburgh AC 184, 4 HBT 198, 5 Corstorphine 209, 6 Fife AC 258…8 PH Racing 324, 11 Perth RR 605, 14 Dundee Hawkhill 653, 15 Kinross RR 717, 19 Pitreavie 1133, 20 Carnegie 1189 Under 17 Men. 5.4km. 1 K Hornyik (Dundee Hawkhill) 19.29, 2 H Morrow (Edinburgh AC) 19.42, 3 F Clyne (Teviotdale) 20.04. Teams. 1 Fife AC 22, 2 Dundee Hawkhill 23, 3 Falkirk Vic.) 50. Under 15 Boys. 4km. 1 A McGill (Linlithgow) 14.36, 2 A Wright (Team East Lothian) 14.40, 3 S Griffin (Aberdeen) 14.53. Teams. 1 Corstorphine 30, 2 Team Borders 34, 3 Dundee Hawkhill 38….5 Perth Strathtay 53, 12 Strathearn 126

Under 13 Boys. 2.7km. 1 F Ross (Harmeny) 9.55, 2 C Campbell (Team East Lothian) 14.40, 3 H McKay (Aberdeen) 10.02. Teams. 1 Harmeny 19, 2 Team East Lothian 29, 3 Aberdeen 38….7 Perth Strathtay 58, 8 Pitreavie 59, 10 Dunfermline T & F 121, 11 Fife AC 133, 13 Dundee Hawkhill 160.

Under 11 Boys. 1.4km. 1 F Ross (Harmeny) 5.13, 2 I McDonald (Edinburgh AC) 5.17, 3 M Holden (Harmeny) 5.18. Teams. 1 Harmeny 8, 2 Edinburgh AC 30, 3 Banchory & Stonehaven 35….5 Fife AC 54, 6 Dundee Hawkhill 65, 10 Strathearn 113, 12 Pitreavie 158, 13 Perth Strathtay 171.

Senior Women. 5.4km. 1 J Stephen (HBT) 21.58, 2 M Crawford (Fife AC) 22.08, 3 L Robertson (HBT) 22.11, 4 E Gill (Ed.Univ.) 1st junior 22.15, 5 J MacLeod (Corstorphine 2nd junior.) 22.22, 6 K Gore (Lasswade) 22.25…10 F Matheson (Falkirk Vic.) 1st over 50. 22.41. Teams. 1 HBT 26, 2 Fife AC 52, 3 Edinburgh Univ. 67, 4 Edinburgh AC 80, 5 Gala H. 96, 6 PH Racing 109…8 Dundee Hawkhill 168, 9 Kinross RR 199, 10 Perth RR 263, 11 Pitreavie 321. U17 Women/U15 Girls. 4km. 1 P Carcas (Edinburgh AC 15.50, 2 I Calvert (Livingston) 16.06, 3 R Newman (Edinburgh AC) 16.29. Teams. 1 Edinburgh AC 9, 2 Aberdeen 42, 3 Livingston 48….5 Fife AC 61, 6 Dunfermline T & F 85, 8 Dundee Hawkhill 134. Under 13 Girls. 2.7km. 1 O Clarke (Corstorphine) 10.56, 2 A Morrison (Pitreavie) 10.58, 3 P Armstrong (Aberdeen) 11.11. Teams. 1 Falkirk Vic. 18, 2 Pitreavie 22, 3 Edinburgh AC 47….6 Fife AC 64, 7 Dundee Hawkhill 75, 9 Dunfermline T & F 137, 11 Strathearn 179. Under 11 Girls 1.4km. 1 L Todd (Aberdeen) 5.32, 2 L Cant (Falkirk Vic.) 5.34, 3 M McKay (Edinburgh A) 5.39. Teams. 1 Edinburgh AC 12, 2 Lasswade 44, 3 Falkirk Vic. 48….7 Pitreavie 69, 8 Dundee Hawkhill 79, 10 Perth Strathtay 110.