Colchester & Tendring AC’s juniors answered the call to turn out in force for the ‘winner takes all’ final 53-12 Cross Country Lace meeting of the season, staged at Great Notley Country Park on Sunday.

Fielding a record 32 runners, including five debutants, the CATs won the team event, overtaking Ipswich JAFFA in the standings in the final event on a perfect day for running off-road.

Thomas Palmer was again in second place, also finishing as the top under-15 boy for the season. Palmer had also broken the two-minute barrier for 800 metres indoors the previous Wednesday, so it was a good week for him.

Ermeas Aferwerki finished fourth at Great Notley, with club-mates Sam Gardiner in fifth and the consistent Matt Brayshaw seventh. Brayshaw was first under-13 and second male overall.

Henry Dover (11th) completed the CATS’ scorers for the day, followed by Aidan Cahill (12th) and Sam Shippey (15th). The latter secured second place in the under-13 boys’ section.

Under-11 girls Kiera and Kayleigh Atkinson (20th and 23rd respectively), finished first and second in the under-11 age group for the season.

Meanwhile, consistency from Ebba Paterson (38th), Rocco Viljoen (28th) and Sam Gardiner guaranteed them awards within their age groups.

The CATS dominated the under-15 girls’ age group. Saffron Rose was first, with Paterson in third and Amy Thompson equal fifth.

In the five mile senior race, Freddy Richardson (33rd) was first home for the CATs, followed by Kieron Atkinson (94th), Warren Page (155th) and Steve Cartwright 169th (169th).

CATS leading junior finishers: 2 Thomas Palmer, 4 Ermeas Aferwerki, 5 Sam Gardiner, 7 Matt Brayshaw, 11 Henry Dover, 12 Aidan Cahill, 15 Sam Shippey, 20 Kiera Atkinson, 23 Kayleigh Atkinson, 28 Rocco Viljoen, 31 Saffron Rose, 38 Ebba Paterson, 43 Amy Thompson, 54 Ally Thorndike, 57 Jennifer Palmer, 61 Stanley Hobbs.

68 Emily Brayshaw, 69 Emily White, 70 Elsa Styles, 72 Lorkan Viljoen, 76 Scarlett Thorp, 77 Olivia Woods, 83 Scarlett Dalton, 84 Talia Wynter, 86 Fleur Ensom, 91 Polly Parker, 92 Scarlett Johnston, 93 Charlie Palmer, 95 Sawyer Dalton, 111 George Gray.