Shropshire Schools Cross Country Championships 2010

Shropshire Schools Cross Country Championships.

Alex Russell from Adams Grammar School, Newport was an impressive winner of the senior boys title at this years Annual Shropshire Schools Cross Country Championships held at Oswestry School on Saturday. In his first year at Adams after moving into the sixth form from Burton Borough School he became the only athlete on Saturday to win a title for the second successive year after he won the intermediate title at Bridgnorth last year. There was a large group of 6 athletes for two of the three laps before Russell broke away to win with 8 seconds to spare over Shrewsbury School's Alex McKay who has made a remarkable improvement after finishing 15th in the intermediate race last year. He also had the satisfaction of leading Shrewsbury School to the team title, for the first time for four years, after the school had previously made the title their own having won it 17 times over a 20 year period. New College's Dennis Gardener ran well to take the bronze medal.

Jessica Bailey was a surprise winner of the Intermediate Girls race with last years winner Harriet Grandfield second and Holly Climo third. Bailey became the first Wrockwardine Wood student to win a county cross country title for 16 years, since Ceri Davies won in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and Joanne Perry won in 1978 and 1979. She won in 14.04, 27 seconds clear of the Harriet Grandfield from Thomas Adams Wemm, who is the Shropshire AA Under 17 Champion this season. Harriet did have the satisfaction of taking a gold medal home as she led her school to retain the team title, whilst Holly Climo from Sir John Talbot School, Whitchurch took third a further 11 seconds adrift.

Nicole Hilliker, from Telford College took the senior girls title following her intermediate girls title in 2008. She won in 14.51 15 seconds clear of Lucy Kesek from Adams Newport with last years silver medallist Megan Lloyd from Ludlow College taking 3rd. Tess McPhillips repeated her 4th place from last year and led Wrekin College to the team title. It is the largest senior girls field and organisers were delighted to have complete senior girls teams, with Shrewsbury School, entering a girls team for the very first time take second with Adams Newport third and Bedstone College 4th.

Joe Evans from Thomas Adams, won one of the closest races of the day as he just got the better of Joe Morris from the Marches school with just 2 seconds between them in the intermediate boys race. Evans a member of the GB Modern Pentathlon squad, was the junior boy winner in 2008 and was 4th in the this age group last year whilst Morris second in the junior boys last year to Wrekin College's Hayden Gleave who was 4th this year just outsprinted for the bronze medal by Ercall Wood's Ryan Heath.Shrewsbury School packed 4 runners in the top 12 to take the team title that they have not won since 2004 with reigning champions Adams, Newport runners up.

Ben Ashcroft became the first ever student from the Grange School, Shrewsbury to ever win a county schools cross country title as he won the junior boys race in 12.47, 14 seconds clear of second placed George Speakman from Church Stretton in the biggest race of the day with 53 finishers.Joss Burrows the Year 7 winner from 2008 took the bronze medal The team race could not be closer as Adams Newport and Wrekin College had the same team points with Adams taking the title on the position of the their fourth and final scorer.

Isobel Bradley from Charlton School, Wellington, the Shropshire AA Under 13 girls champion won a close race with the Shropshire AA Under 15 girls champion Megan Turner from Ludlow School to win the junior girls race by just 3 seconds. Zoe and Amy Partridge, sisters from Church Stretton School took 3rd and 4th. Emily Wright in 6th place led Wrekin College to retain the junior girls team title as they packed 4 girls in the top 10.

Chloe Evans from Ludlow School won the Year 7 girls race as just 4 seconds separated the first 3 finishers. She became the first title winner from Ludlow since Sarah Farnell won the same race in 2002. Passy Goddard from Shrewsbury Girls High School was second with Molly Browne from BRJ College Wellington taking the bronze medal. Moreton Hall School's Year 7 girls team won the title for the first time ever in that age group.

Alex Burrows from Broseley, a Year 7 student at William Brookes School, Much Wenlock follwoed in his older brothers footsteps as he won the individual title, a feat achieved by brother Joss in 2008. Matthew Connor from Priory School, Shrewsbury came second 6 seconds adrift whilst Luke Beckett was third just a second behind, but led his school to their first ever County Schools team title in any boys or girls age group with 57 points, just 2 points clear of second placed William Brookes.

The first 9 finishers in each race were selected to run for Shropshire in an inter county race in Leicestershire on Saturday 6th February.

Paul Sanderson