Jessie delighted to scoop Avon title after ‘wilderness years’
JESSIE Sanzo’s victory in the Avon Cross Country Championships was a triumph of adversity, dedication and sheer love of the sport.
The Bristol & West AC runner has returned from her ‘wilderness’ years – she raced just a handful of times in six years – following injury and then the Covid lockdown period to not only remind older members of her talent but also introduce herself to the new generation of runners in the women’s squad.
“I got a bad hip injury after I ran for England in 2015 so decided to take some time off,” said Sanzo.
“It took ages to clear up and then basically my running petered out. When you are away from the sport for a long time it is hard to get back into it. Then Covid came along and that was another two years away but now it is so nice to be back running and racing again.”
Sanzo, who is a mother to three teenagers, re-emerged with a strong 38:31 at the Bristol 10k at the end of September, then joined her club-mates for the British Masters Relays before tackling the opening two Gwent League races, finishing 11th and seventh, respectively.
In both races, club-mate Katrina Entwistle finished ahead of her but last weekend Sanzo edged her out by eight seconds for a memorable triumph at the age of 40.
“When I started racing again my aim was just to enjoy myself. I set myself no goals but once I started I realised I can still do this,” added Sanzo. “I ready for more now!”
In a nice symmetry, fellow veteran runner Owain Jones made it a club double as he won the senior men’s title. “I use to train with Owain and it is great that he is still in the club and doing so well, he is such an impressive runner,” said Sanzo.
Bristol & West AC won a total of six golds, five silvers and four bronzes to make them the most successful club at the event.
Alongside Sanzo and Jones, there was further gold success for Tanya Chowdhury (W45), Amy Nicholls (U20 women), Ewan Sparey (U13 boys) and Harry Gaisford (U11 boys). Gaisford also led a B&W clean sweep in the under-11 boys’ race with Thomas Redfern and Harry Gore winning the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Other silver medal winners were Entwistle, Gabriela Ritter Sherratt (U15 girls), Isabelle Spencer (U11 girls), Freddie Barnes (U13 boys) and Redfern (U11 boys), while bronze medal winners included Amira Chowdhury Barratt (U13 girls), Vijay Bakrania (U17 men), Barney Colclough (U15 boys) and Gore (U11 boys).
B&W’s Kurt Taylor and Jack Millar were in action at the British Cross Challenge in Liverpool, an event which attracted the strongest field of the season so far with places in the GB team for the Europeans at stake. So, for Taylor and Millar to finish 19th and 20th, respectively, in the senior men’s race was a tremendous achievement and augurs well for the rest of the season.
Club official Mike Strange, who recently retired after a lifetime of coaching, has won the Services to Athletics award at the England Athletics South West Volunteer Awards.
Club coach and men’s team manager Mike Down is recovering at home after being knocked
unconscious by a cyclist in Bristol last week.
Down was taken to hospital with a dislocated and fractured shoulder, severe cuts to his head and face and a badly injured groin. The cyclist failed to stop and fled the scene. “I didn’t remember a thing about it until I woke up in Southmead Hospital,” said 80-year-old Down, who is still in considerable pain. “I’m devastated.”
Tri Counties Cross Country Championships, University of Bath Senior women: 1 Amber Gascoigne (TB, W35) 24:03; 2 Alice Murray-Gourlay (Taun) 24:08; 3 Lizzy Ingram (Wells) 24:38.
Avon: 1 Jessie Sanzo (B&W, W35); 2 Katrina Entwistle (B&W); 3 Isabel Davis (TB). W45: 1 Tanya Chowdhury (B&W).
Teams: 1 Team Bath AC 28.
U20 women: 1 Hannah Blundy (Wells) 17:23; 2 Amy Nicholls (B&W) 18:42; 3 Alida Van Der Merwe (TB) 19:53. Avon: 1 Nicholls.
U17 women: 1 Sophie Nicholls (Wells) 16:41; 2 Tilly Nickell (TB) 17:11; 3 Imogen Gray (Sals) 18:25. Avon: 1 Talia Hughes (NSAC); 2 Maeve Robinson (WH); 3 Orla Rostom (TB).
U15 girls: 1 Jemima Davey (Wells) 13:34; 2 Ella Spencer (SH) 13:36; 3 Gemma Tolputt (Wells) 13:55. Avon: 1 Felicity Lowe (WH); 2 Gabriela Ritter Sherratt (B&W); 3 Gertie Blewitt (TB).
Teams: 1 Wells City Harriers 11.
U13 girls: 1 Olivia Paul (TB) 10:29; 2 Sophie Maxwell (TB) 10:30; 3 Polly Pennicott (TB) 10:53. Avon: 1 Pennicott; 2 Lola Simpson (WH); 3 Amira Chowdhury Barratt (B&W). Teams: 1 Team Bath AC 6.
U11 girls: 1 Elizabeth Hutchings (WH) 7:09; 2 Charissa Griffiths-Clack (SH) 7:14; 3 Kitty Danner (Wells) 7:24. Avon: 1 Hutchings; 2 Isabelle Spencer (B&W); 3 Florence Hilton (WH).
Teams: 1 Wells City Harriers 20.
Senior men: 1 Simon Byrne (SH) 32:36; 2 Owain Jones (B&W, M40) 33:08; 3 Chris McMillan (Weston) 33:23.
Avon: 1 Jones; 2 McMillan; 3 Robert Farley (BRR). Teams: 1 Team Bath AC 89. B&W: 20 Aled Andersen; 22 Chris Neilson; 30 Aaron Bruce.
U20 men: 1 Seamus Robinson (WH) 17:24; 2 Alex Hammond (TB) 18:25; 3 Rory Chang (MAC) 18:52. Avon: 1 Robinson.
U17 men: 1 Harry Maxwell (TB) 17:42; 2 Dylan Stoneman (TB) 18:03; 3 Josh Maxwell (TB) 18:46. Avon: 1 Stoneman; 2 Akira Bees (WH); 3 Vijay Bakrania (B&W). B&W: 4 Ollie Robertson-Kurd; 7 Oliver Draper; 8 Paul Escott.
Under 15 boys: 1 Tom Webb (Wells) 12:13; 2 Toby Loughlin (TB) 12:18; 3 Thomas Dewey (Sals) 12:30. Avon: 1 Stanley Wyatt (TB); 2 Augustin Downing (WH); 3 Barney Colclough (B&W). B&W: 17 Max McKinstry. Teams: 1 Team Bath AC 19.
Under 13 boys: 1 Ewan Sparey (B&W) 9:50; 2 Freddie Barnes (B&W) 10:08; 3 Rafferty Davey (Kettering) 10:12. Avon: 1 Sparey; 2 Barnes; 3 Sidney Davis (WH).
Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 18 (Sparey, Barnes, 15 Henry McKee). 26 Patrick McGrath; 28 Douglas Davies.
Under 11 boys: 1 Edward Salter (Taun) 6:34; 2 Albert Jakubowski (TB); 3 Joey Burdekin (SH) 6:56. Avon: 1 Harry Gaisford (B&W); 2 Thomas Redfern (B&W); 3 Harry Gore (B&W); 4 George Paske (B&W); 5 Ibrahim Nazir (B&W).
Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 36.