Victory for Vinton at Suffolk Cross Country Championships

Lewis Sullivan, who won the under-15 boys' race at Culford School. Picture: ANDY ABBOTT (Image: Archant)

Defending champion Vinton was away and clear of the field, the Ipswich Harrier finishing 46 seconds ahead of runner-up Verity Valentine, of Saint Edmund Pacers.

Just like last year, when a highlight was winning the Southern Championships in Brighton last January, Vinton has been bang in form this season.

In November, she won the English Schools Cup Regional Final (Suffolk and Essex) at Woodbridge, and finished first at the Eastern Counties Championships in Ipswich, while last month she won the South of England Inter-Counties event in Oxford.

There was an even more convincing victory for Ben Peck, in the under-13 boys’ age group at Culford. The Thetford AC youngster was 61 seconds clear of runner-up Liam Davison (Ipswich Harriers).

Holly Fisher, crowned the under-17 women's champion at the Suffolk Cross Country Championships. Picture: ANDY ABBOTT (Image: Archant)

The Harriers filled the top four places in the under-15 girls’ race, led by another comfortable winner in April Hill, who finished 41 seconds ahead of club-mate Mia Dann, with Tilly Aldis in third.

Likewise, there was no stopping an in-form Lewis Sullivan in the under-15 boys’ section. Sullivan, of the Bury-based Pacers, who was the under-13 champion last year, reached the finish with 29 seconds in hand over Harriers’ Freddie Adams.

Holly Fisher, also of the Harriers, led home the field in the under-17 women’s race – she was under-15 champion 12 months ago – while club-mate Nathan Goddard retained his under-17 men’s title by 19 seconds from fellow Harrier James Pettersson in second.

Phillippa Unthank, also of the Harriers, won the under-20 women’s crown, and there was an exciting finish to the under-20 men’s race with Reuben Handy just pipping Pacers’ team-mate Steven Quercia-Smale. Both were credited with exactly the same time.

Nathan Goddard, who retained his under-17 men's county title at the Suffolk Cross Country Championships. Picture: STEVE WALLER (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

The first race of the day was for the under-11s. Bella Taylor, of West Suffolk AC, was the first under-11 girl, finishing an impressive 19 seconds ahead of runner-up Darcy Gladwell, from the Harriers. West Suffolk AC’s Seb Melero won the boys’ event, with club-mate Max Jeffery in second.

Results

Leading finishers in the various age groups at the Suffolk County Cross Country Championships, held at Culford School:

Under-11 boys: 1 S Melero (WS) 8:05; 2 M Jeffery (WS) 8:13; 3 S Blackwell (SEP) 8:16; 4 A Jeffery (WS) 8:29; 5 E Dube (WS) 8:35.

Under-11 girls: 1 B Taylor (WS) 8:46: 2 D Gladwell (IH) 9:05; 3 I Widdowson (HH) 9:07; 4 E Perry (SEP) 9:09; 5 H Croot (WS) 9:11.

Under-13 boys: 1 B Peck (TH) 11:20; 2 L Davison (IH) 12:21; 3 B Phillips (Haverhill) 12:25; 4 M Fisher (IH) 12:33; 5 T Taylor (WS) 12:36. Team: IH.

Under-13 girls: 1 R Vinton (IH) 12:35; 2 V Valentine (SEP) 13:11; 3 A Taylor (WS) 13:32; 4 P Harpur-Davies (WS) 13:58; 5 E Rufford (Woodbridge School) 14:06. Team: WS.

Under-15 boys: 1 L Sullivan (SEP) 14:51; 2 F Adams (IH) 15:20; 3 K Evans Lombe (IH) 15:27; 4 J Peck (TH) 15:36; 5 O Hitchcock (IH) 15:46. Team: IH.

Under-15 girls: 1 A Hill (IH) 17:32; 2 M Dann (IH) 18:13; 3 T Aldis (IH) 18:15; 4 A Goddard (IH) 18:29; 5 B Oram (Gt Yarmouth) 18:45. Team: IH.

Under-17 men: 1 N Goddard (IH) 21:08; 2 J Pettersson (IH) 21:27; 3 T Henson (SEP) 21:42; 4 A Evans Lombe (IH) 22:03; 5 S Stevens (IH) 22:16. Team: IH.

Under-17 women: 1 H Fisher (IH) 19:52; 2 M Jordan-Lee (SS) 20:06; 3 N Perry (SEP) 21:31; 4 C Cavill (WS) 21:48; 5 M Salsby (IH) 22:48. Team: SEP

Under-20 men: 1 R Handy (SEP) 28:43; 2 S Quercia-Smale (SEP) 28:43; 3 J Robson (SEP) 29:02; 4 T Adams (IH) 29:54; 5 M Moore (SS) 33:35. Teams: SEP.

Under-20 women: 1 P Unthank (IH) 24:01; 2 S Meader (Saxmundham) 44:56.

Senior men: 1 J Millar (IH) 31:51; 2 N Shreeve (Cam/Col) 32:56; 3 A Lawrence (IH) 33:08; 4 M Jeffries (WV) 34:14; 5 M Gilbert (Cam/Col) 34:51; 6 A Tripp (IH) 35:27; 7 W Page (Colchester & Tendring) 35:32; 8 N Pollard (NJ, 1st over-40) 35:48; 9 S Ramsey (HH) 35:56; 10 D O’Boyle (SEP) 35:59; 11 K McMorran (IJ) 36:05; 12 D Olefir (SEP) 36:08; 13 A Southwood (SEP, 2nd o-40) 36:11; 14 J Last (FF, 3rd o-40) 36:14; 15 K Tilley (IJ, 1st o-45) 36:31; 16 P Wain (IJ) 36:38; 17 T Gavin (FRR) 36:48; 18 P Miller (Haverhil) 36:50; 19 S Williams (SS) 37:01; 20 A Howlett (FF, 2nd o-45) 37:12. Teams: 1 SEP 59pts, 2 IJ 72, 3 HH 81.

Senior women: 1 E Moyes (Aldershot) 38:24; 2 S Lines (WV) 38:51; 3 L Thomas (IJ) 39:46; 4 H Noone (WS) 39:50; 5 S Bird (IJ) 39:57; 6 J Clarry (SEP) 40:23; 7 H Pettersson (IH) 40:36; 8 A Goodwin (IH) 41:42; 9 A Joiner-Handy (SEP, 1st over-45) 42:53; 10 K King (SEP) 44:00; 11 C Jeffery (SEP, 1st o-40) 44:05; 12 C Anthony (WS, 1st o-55) 44:59; 13 L Smith (SEP) 45:15; 14 S Thorogood (SJ, 1st o-50) 45:16. 15 R Horsfield (IJ) 45:26; 16 O Robson (SEP 2nd o-45) 45:29; 17 Z Chase (WV) 45:53; 18 E Wix (WS) 46:26; 19 G Clarke (FF, 2nd o-50) 46:37; 20 K Martin (Haverhill) 46:42. Teams: 1 IJ 23pts; 2 SEP 25; 3 WV 40.

KEY

WS – West Suffolk AC; IH – Ipswich Harriers; SEP – Saint Edmund Pacers; SS – Stowmarket Striders; HH – Hadleigh Hares; TH – Thetford AC; WV – Waveney Valley; NJ – Newmarket Joggers; IJ – Ipswich JAFFA; FF – Framlingham Flyers; SJ – Sudbury Joggers; WS – Woodbridge Shufflers; FRR – Felixstowe Road Runners.