Suffolk trio of Sullivan, Vinton and Dover all win at Anglian Schools event

Henry Dover leads Suffolk team-mate Ben Peck in the junior boys' race. Dover won the title, with Peck in second. Picture: TOEKNEE PAIN (Image: Archant)

Lewis Sullivan and Ruby Vinton once again spearheaded Suffolk Schools' challenge, at the annual Anglian Schools Cross Country Championships, held at Witham Country Park, Boston, in Lincolnshire on Saturday, with Henry Dover making it a hat-trick of individual winners.

There were several top-three placings for Suffolk, across the eight age group races, as they took on teams from Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.

An in-form Sullivan, from Sybil Andrews Academy, was fresh from an outstanding victory at the South of England Championships at Parliament Hill Fields the previous weekend.

And Sullivan, 15, a member of Saint Edmund Pacers, again led the way as he triumphed in the intermediate boys' race.

Action from the minor girls' race at the Anglian Schools event , with Suffolk's Bella Taylor (blue vest) on her way to third place. Picture: ALISTAIR DICK (Image: Archant)

"It was another good day for Suffolk," enthused Sullivan.

"However, some of the races were only 10 minutes apart, so some runners were encountering others from a different race, which made it confusing."

Suffolk filled five of the top 10 places in this category, with Kit Evans Lombe (fourth), James Peck (fifth), Elliot Gladwell (sixth) and Freddie Adams (ninth) all supporting Sullivan, while Sam Burkitt closed out a winning team in 16th spot.

Meanwhile, Vinton won the junior girls' title, the Woodbridge School pupil repeating her victory from last year's event, which was held at Northampton.

The Suffolk intermediate girls' team line up after their race at the Anglian Schools Championships. Picture: ALISTAIR DICK (Image: Archant)

Vinton had an outstanding 2019, which included victories at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships in Loughborough, and at the London Mini-Marathon.

There were also top-10 places in the junior race at Boston for team-mates Isobel Mitchell (seventh) and Connie Davies (10th).

Suffolk enjoyed a one-two in the junior boys' age group, Henry Dover, a member of Colchester & Tendring AC, pipping Ben Peck, who is a member of Thetford AC and a pupil at Mildenhall College Academy.

April Hill (Woodbridge School) ran well for second position in the intermediate girls' race, with Amy Goddard the next Suffolk finisher in 11th spot, and James Pettersson was another podium finisher with third slot in the senior boys' race.

April Hill surges to second spot in the intermediate girls' race at the Anglian Schools event. Pictrue: ALISTAIR DICK (Image: Archant)

Elsewhere, Sam Blackwell led home Suffolk's minor boys' team in fourth spot, while Bella Taylor (Gipping Valley) finished a fine third in the minor girls' event, with team-mates Cerys Bethell (fifth) and Isabelle Last (seventh) also to the fore.

Twin sisters Maddie and Millie Jordan-Lee, from Stowmarket, were sixth and 10th respectively in the senior girls' section.

On the day, the predicted winds did not really happen, although the courses were short of the advertised distances, which threw some of the runners. There were also stretches through woodland where it was very difficult to pass other runners.

Suffolk's leading athletes will be in action at the English Schools Championships, to be held in Liverpool on March 14.

Suffolk Schools' junior girls' squad, before the start of their race at Boston. Picture: ALISTAIR DICK (Image: Archant)

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Results

Suffolk results at Anglian Schools Cross Country Champs:

Minor boys: 4 Sam Blackwell, 11 Seb Melero, 13 Henry Rutland, 17 Max Jeffrey, 22 Louis Macq, 34 Jack lugo Hankins, 35 Archie Shaw, 37 Alfie Jeffrey, 38 Aston Barrington- Hibbert, 39 Owen Lavery, 40 Brandon Barber, 59 Ronnie Baxter, 62 Archie Miller, 64 Max Uttley, 65 Alex Cronk.

Lewis Sullivan is away and clear as he makes his way through a wooded section. Picture: ALISTAIR DICK (Image: Archant)

Minor girls: 3 Bella Taylor, 5 Cerys Bethell, 7 Isabelle Last, 15 Eloise Perry, 17 Elodie Barnard, 22 Tia Clancy, 26 Edie Clough, 27 Isla Widdowson, 29 Rose Jackson, 30 Lottie Hitchcock, 32 Lily Ambrose, 35 Isobel Aukland, 37 Lily Burton, 50 Charlie Phillips, 52 Isabel Moore, 66 Ella Stewart.

Junior boys: 1 Henry Dover, 2 Ben Peck, 12 Rowan Shearer, 14 Taylor Ashley-Plumb, 18 Luc Wallace, 22 Ryan Grady, 31 Jack Teuten, 36 Max Fisher, 42 Thomas Taylor, 45 Ross Hammond, 49 Luca Barricella, 52 Iwan Fothergill, 53 Archie Taylor, 55 Sid Tilley, 70 Theo Gardiner, 72 Ethan Rattenbury.

Junior girls: 1 Ruby Vinton, 7 Isobel Mitchell, 10 Connie Davies, 11 Amelie Taylor, 20 Elise Wright, 22 Alexandra Bell-Cobbold, 30 Eva Marshall, 35 Isabella Welch, 44 Phoebe Harpur-Davies, 53 Eloise Rufford, 59 Jessica O'Brien, 60 Grace Bestley, 61 Freya Wilcox, 62 Mae Washington, 65 Lauren Squirrell, 72 Flo West.

Intermediate boys: 1 Lewis Sullivan, 4 Kit Evans Lombe, 5 James Peck, 6 Elliot Gladwell, 9 Freddie Adams, 16 Sam Burkitt, 22 Charlie Turner, 25 Max Berry, 27 Charlie Johnson, 54 Jake Hayward, 55 Hugh Catchpole, 57 Tom Lockyer, 60 Henry Dinwiddy, 61 Jake Garratt, 62 Fin Davis, 63 Tom Frohn.

Mimi Salsby is in full flow during the senior girls' race. She finished in 22nd spot. Picture: ALISTAIR DICK (Image: Archant)

Intermediate girls: 2 April Hill, 11 Amy Goddard, 17 Mia Dann, 20 Lila Battel, 25 Francesca Mann, 29 Rebecca Morley, 39 Maddy Lansdown, 44 Poppy Branton, 47 Ffion Aston, 56 Isabelle Bunag, 58 Ella Raynard, 63 Molly Howell, 67 Olivia Evans, 69 Anna Jackson, 71 Chloe Gilbert.

Senior boys: 3 James Pettersson, 13 Nathan Goddard, 20 Ethan Turner, 21 Will Lowden, 38 Jack Hammond, 40 Edward Harvey, 41 Matthew Bennett, 42 Dylan Fothergill, 48 Dylan Bradnam, 49 Oliver Liston, 51 Jack Burgess, 54 George Stevenson, 57 Alex Swarbrick, 58 Oliver Langer.

Senior girls: 6 Maddie Jordan-Lee, 10 Millie Jordan-Lee, 22 Mimi Salsby, 23 Sarah Barker, 24 Amy Graham, 30 Katie Challinor, 32 Chloe Cavill, 34 Lily Genner, 39 Evie Morgan, 41 Jasmine Bilner, 42 Kate Heeks, 43 Helena Hines, 44 Zara Hanman, 47 Helena Exley, 48 Kirsten O'Brien, 49 Imi Bowyer.

Lewis Sullivan, on his way to victory in the Intermediate boys' race at Boston, Lincs. Picture: TOEKNEE PAIN (Image: Archant)