Athletics B&W’s runners shine at cross-country league meeting
ACLEAN sweep by the men and a strong display by the women has seen Bristol & West AC’s senior teams strengthen their grip on the Gwent crosscountry league.
“A club finishing the first four senior men is something that hasn’t happened for a very long time,” said men’s team manager Mike Down after Kurt Taylor cruised to victory ahead of his B&W clubmates Owain Jones, Felix McGrath and Luke Burgess.
The fab four were backed up by Andrew Salmon in 14th for a thumping team victory that saw them stretch their overall advantage to 248 points after the opening two fixtures.
“It was the first time I’ve put on my cross country spikes since the ‘National’ last winter so I’m pleased with that and it was nice we got the first four across the line as well,” said Taylor.
Individually overall veteran Jones leads the way from Burgess by just a single point.
“I don’t know how Owain keeps on doing it, he’s remarkable while Luke’s a real talent who’ll surely only get better,” added Down.
The women also dominated their race with outstanding duathlete Kate Mactear celebrating her cross country debut with a narrow win over clubmate Katrina Entwistle with Elaina Gard (5th), a resurgent Jessie Sanzo (7th) and Catie O’Donoghue (11th) completing a crushing team victory. In fact, they were so dominant they over-turned a narrow defeat to Les Croupiers in match one to open up a 193 points gap on the Welsh club, who dropped to third.
“From the gun, it was clear that Bristol & West were out to regain their title,” said joint team manager Elaina Gard.
“Although we were missing some of our talented cross-country runners, we still had strength in numbers.
“The team were incredible and it was an amazing atmosphere at Blaise Castle.”
Similarly, the women now boast the top three overall individuals with Entwistle’s fifth and second places giving her the edge over Sanzo with Gard third after her best ever result in the competition.
The strength of both teams was underlined with the men’s B squad of David Awde, Rhys Goddard, Daniel Shepherd, Graham Breen and Simon Bright and the women’s B team of Nicola Brookland, Hannah Dyer, Caz Buckeridge, Ellen Harrison and Ellie Armstrong both finishing third on the day.
In the young athletes races Ishmael Bradley has taken over the overall lead in the under-17 men’s age group with victory adding to his second place at Cardiff and with Vijay Bakrania, Ollie RobertsonKurd and Nicholas Pestell in support the club finished top team.
Ewan Sparey made it two wins out of two in the under-13s race and led the squad of Ollie Squire,
Elijah Buscemi and Henry McKee to team success. Sophie HayesHoyle, who finished third overall, led Molly Thomas, Liza Bott and Phoebe Li Ross to team victory while the under-13s squad of Caitlin White, Tilly Coomber, Amira Chowdhury-Barratt and Grace Rickards placed second.
» Representing the Midland Counties at the British Cross Challenge fixture at Milton Keynes the Bristol & West AC pair of Jack Millar and Max Davis finished 23rd and 33rd respectively with Will Chrisofi finishing in 107th position.
» David Bedwell finished 6th in the M65 race at the British & Irish Open International XC Championships in Dublin to help England finish second, just one point behind winners Ireland.
» Kate Maltby and Jarlath McKenna were flying the club flag in the North East at the Heaton Memorial 10k in Newcastle upon Tyne finishing first (35:24) and second (30:43) respectively