SYA XC League Race 2 Oswestry

Welsh teams add competitive edge to Shropshire Races.

The addition of two Welsh teams to the second round of the Shropshire Star sponsored Shropshire Young Athletes league cross country added a keen competitive edge to the races with the fast dry Oswestry course providing some exciting racing.

Before the Under 13 girls’ race, Newtown based Maldwyn Harriers posed for a team photo and it must have inspired them as with 5 runners in the top ten they led the team race easily from Shrewsbury High School and Oswestry Olympians. It was pre race favourite Isobel Bradley who won the 2000m race in 7 minutes 20 seconds from Emily Thomas of Aberystwyth AC closely followed by Sarah Williams, Emily Baldwin and Rosie Unwin all from Maldwyn.

All the races started off up a sharp hill but this did not slow down the normal fast start of the Under 11 girls. It was local athlete Hannah Price of Oswestry Olympians who slowed down the least, finishing the 1500m course in a fast 6 minutes and 3 seconds. Jessica Morris of Maldwyn was second just beating Katherine Smith of Shrewsbury AC. It was Oswestry who took the team race on 172 points with Maldwyn on 162 just one ahead of Telford AC.

In the under 15 girls’ the rapidly improving Evie Bentley of Telford AC beat all those that raced in the first fixture but this time had to settle for second place behind Welsh newcomer Megan Turner of Aberystwyth AC. Only 2 seconds separated the next three finishers, Daisy Tickner of Oswestry, Amy Partridge of Wenlock Olympians and Lauren Bathers also of Oswestry. Defending champions Telford AC seem to have a commanding lead in this age group.

However it was the home team who had five in the first six in the Under 17 girls. In the absence of Harriet Grandfield from Telford, the winner of the first race was Ella Walker who claimed first position from Chloe Barton with a spirited performance from Chloe Murphy in third just managing to prevent an Oswestry clean sweep.

In the boys races the Welsh clubs were not so well represented. In the under 17 Boys the pace for the 5000m course was unrelenting. The lead changed several times until, with a little over a mile to go, Guy Gregory of Ludlow Runners hit the front and pushed hard to move slowly away from his main rival Ryan Heath of Ludlow. Another Ludlow Runner Russell Adams came in third to clinch the team victory. A win in the next round at Much Wenlock could clinch the title for Guy, who up to this year had always been frustratingly just out of the medals.

The field in the Under 15 boys was the strongest of the day and a group of 5 seemed to break away. Wrekin College’s Haydn Gleave took the lead at the half way point and he finished 17 seconds in front of the rapidly improving Ben Ashcroft of Shrewsbury AC. Stephen Williams was third for Aberystwyth with Seb Pope, in his debut in the league, staying in front of the county 800m title holder Josh Burrows. The team victory was secured by Oswestry Olympians with 4 runners in the top 10.

Alex Burrows won the Under 13 boys’ race with a sprint finish from his fellow Telford team mate Jack Forrester, with Arthur Charlesworth of Wenlock Olympians just 5 seconds further back. It was Wenlock Olympians, whose numbers are increasing each year, who look set to be Telford AC’s biggest rivals in this age group.

Perhaps the most talented performer of the day ran in the Under 11 boys’ race. Telford’s Freddie Fielding, from Condover, steadily pulled away from the field and on a course of only 1500m managed to finish over 30 seconds ahead of his nearest rivals, Will Evans and Joseph Crutchley of Maldwyn Harriers. The team race was very competitive in this youngest age group with Telford just ahead of the rapidly improving Shrewsbury squad with Oswestry and Maldwyn only 20 points behind.

Colin Lancaster