The annual Suffolk Schools Series A Cross Country Championships embraced a new venue at Ipswich High School in Woolverstone last weekend.
Amelie Taylor, of Thurston, was a convincing winner of the minor girls’ race, clocking 8mins 53secs to finish eight seconds clear of runner-up Amelie Crabb, of Holbrook. Orwell Park’s Poppy Gaunt was third.
Liam Davison was first home in the minor boys’ event, opening up a lead of five seconds by the finish from Tom Taylor, of King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds. Taylor’s school-mate Archie Taylor was third.
Just two seconds separated the top two in the junior girls’ race. Amy Goddard, a pupil at Woodbridge School, triumphed in 10:48, closely followed by Connie Davies, of Farlingaye.
The junior boys’ equivalent was a completely different kind of race, with the highly-rated Lewis Sullivan finishing nearly a minute clear of his closest challengers.
A pupil at Sybil Andrews Academy in Morton Hall, Bury St Edmunds, Sullivan scorched home in 13:59, an impressive 51 seconds ahead of runner-up James Peck, from Mildenhall, who was just a second ahead of Ben Peck.
April Hill was a comfortable winner of the intermediate girls’ age group. The Woodbridge School pupil clocked 14:20, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Farlingaye’s Holly Fisher, with Debenham’s Tilly Aldis in third.
Freddie Adams was just as impressive in the intermediate boys’ section. The East Bergholt High School student was a healthy 16 seconds clear of the field.
Will Lowdon was second, pursued by the Woodbridge duo of George Wharam and Charlie Tuner, who posted the same time in third and fourth respectively.
In the senior races, James Pettersson, of Suffolk One, was the top performer in the boys’ half. Pettersson stopped the clock at 21:26, nine seconds ahead of Woodbridge’s Nathan Goddard. Tom Mead, of St Benedicts, completed the top three.
Phillipa Unthank, a regular top female finisher at the Felixstowe parkrun this year, was a big winner of the senior girls’ title, arriving home 40 seconds clear of runner-up Millie Jordan-Lee, of Stowmarket. Her twin sister Maddie Jordan-Lee was third.
The top 40 finishers in each race will be selected to compete in the Suffolk Schools Series B Championships, which are scheduled for Woodbridge School on Thursday, January 10.
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