The penultimate major cross country fixture of the season – English Schools Cross Country Championships – took place on Saturday March 18th at Wollaton Park, Nottingham. Eleven Blackburn Harriers athletes were representing Lancashire in all age Groups after being selected following the county championships held in early February – (RESULTS) – finishing up with counters for Lancashire in all races.
Lancashire placed 7th in the Intermediate Boys race with three Blackburn Harriers in the six counters – Daniel Smith placing 26th overall and 2nd counter (17.44); Oliver Gill in 51st place, 3rd counter (18.02) and Jack Lamb in 90th spot, 5th counter in a time of 18.27. In the Senior Boys Race Lancashire took 10th position overall with David Holman coming across the finishing line as 1st counter for Lancashire, 44th overall, running 20.34.
Oliver Gill (256)
The Senior Girls race had two Blackburn Harriers in the Lancashire team which placed 8th overall out of the 38 Counties competing – Abigail Stratton and Keira Haxton – Abigail coming home in 14th place overall and 1st counter in a time of 17.00 with Keira running 19.21 in 187th place. Speaking to the Harriers after the race Abigail commented “Really happy with the result of my last English school xc, felt very strong and came out with my best xc result of the season. Looking forward to outdoors beginning and seeing what I am capable of“. Sam Aspey led the way in the Junior Boys race – Lancashire coming 19th overall – as Sam was the first Lancashire counter in 20th place overall (14.52). 33rd place for the Intermediate Girls Lancashire team with the Harriers Charlotte Robertshaw coming home in 187th spot, 4th counter in 14.09. Lancashire came 22nd in the Junior Girls race with Agatha Taylor coming across the finish in 84th overall, 2nd counter running 13.20 with Emma Robertshaw the 6th counter in 185th (13.54) and Lottie Hesketh in 241st place running 14.18.
Abigail Stratton (253)
Charlotte Robertshaw
Emma Robertshaw
Sam Aspey (253)
Lottie Hesketh (257) – Emma Robertshaw (258) – Agatha Taylor (254)
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Over the weekend members of the Harriers were racing on different surfaces with Blackburn Harriers Jess and Rob Warner-Judd over in the States at the weekend to take on the United Airlines New York Half-Marathon. Not the easiest of races in terms of the Course and the weather can be unpredictable, as it turned out to be with a lot of the race being run into a headwind.(RESULTS). Not withstanding the conditions, Rob had a great run setting himself a new PB by a minute and half as he clocked 68.04 in 24th place overall whilst Jess came home with a time of 73.28 in 12th place in the Women’s race.
Rob Warner-Judd
………………and it doesn’t take long for Trafford to start with its Open meetings, the first of which this year was held on Sunday March 19th. (RESULTS). U15 George Camara opened his early track season with a new PB in the 200m, cutting over half a second off his previous best with a 2nd placed finish in 27.49 going on to back that up with a second new PB in the 80m Hurdles, again finishing 2nd in a time of 13.23. First year U15 Evie Fort followed suit – setting new PB’s in 100m clocking 15.4 in 2nd for an improvement of over half a second and then in the 200m, placed 2nd again in a new PB time of 31.03, some 4 tenths faster than her previous best set indoors. (Evie’s 200m Race Video)
George Camara
Last by by no means least – what else do you do on Mothers day when your mum is running a 10k trail race – jump in with her and do it together and that is exactly what Katie Buckingham did with mum Jan Buckingham at the Leighton Hall 10k. Katie finished 1st in the Women’s race and 11th overall with a time of 51.58 whilst V55 Jan came 3rd in the Women’s race, 58th overall running 64.43. (RESULTS)
Jan & Katie Buckingham
