Woodbridge School hosted the annual Suffolk County Schools Series ‘B’ Cross Country Championships last Thursday, looking ahead to next month’s Anglian Schools event, and then the English Schools bonanza in March.
Several winners from the Series ‘A’ Championships, held at Culford School in early December, enjoyed repeat victories at Woodbridge.
Ruby Vinton was again well clear in the minor girls’ race. The Woodbridge School pupil continued her excellent season with a win in 9mins 03secs.
Westley Middle’s Anna Cartwright was again her nearest challenger in second (9:58), while young Amelie Taylor, of Gipping Valley, followed up her victory in the under-11s race at the County Championships in Culford the previous weekend, with third spot at Woodbridge.
Mildenhall’s Ben Peck had enjoyed a victory by 15 seconds in the ‘A’ race, and he followed this up with a win by 16 seconds in the ‘B’ event.
Peck registered 12:49, with Farlingaye’s Max Fisher this time his closest rival (13:05). Gipping Valley’s Tom Taylor pipped Ryan Grady to third place.
In the junior age categories, Woodbridge’s April Hill was away and clear in the girls’ half. She was 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Mia Dann, of Northgate, with Ipswich’s Lottie Smith and Holbrook’s Francesca Mann hot on her heels.
There seems to be no stopping Lewis Sullivan at the moment.
The talented Sullivan, of Sybil Andrews Academy (Moreton Hall) followed up his wins in the ‘A’ race and the County Championships (under-13s title) with another first place. He had a comfortable magin of victory over the Woodbridge School duo of Charlie Turner and Kit Evans-Lombe.
Nathan Goddard has been another young runner bang in form this winter. The Woodbridge pupil notched a good win in the intermediate boys’ race, in 20:27, having lifted the county crown in the under-17 age group the previous weekend.
Holbrook’s James Pettersson and Woodbridge’s Alex Evans-Lombe completed the top three.
There was also a familiar look to the head of the field in the intermediate girls’ race.
Farlingaye’s Holly Fisher (15:20) won an exciting race where 19 seconds separated the top four. The Jordan-Lee twin sisters, Maddie and Millie, were second and fourth respectively, sandwiching Northgate’s Katie Challinor.
In the senior boys’ section, Farlingaye’s Alex Tripp improved on third spot from the Series ‘A’ race with an impressive win in 25:00.
He was 12 seconds clear of Tom Adams, with Kesgrave’s Matthew Snowdon completing the top three.
Culford’s Olivia Allum had opened up a 14-second lead by the end of the senior girls’ race.
Lowestoft Sixth Form’s Harriet Lyman, the winner of the Series ‘A’ event, took second with Framlingham College’s Gigi Erhardt once again in third.
The first eight finishers in each age group have been automatically selected for the Anglian Schools Championships, which take place at Royal Hospital School in Holbrook on Saturday, February 3.
Hosts Suffolk have completely dominated this event, in recent history.
The English Schools Championships are at Leeds on March 17.
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