Derbyshire Athletics Mini League Cross Country Match 2, Rutland Sports Park – 18 November
The second Mini League cross country match took place around the grounds of Rutland Sports Park on Saturday 18 November. The home fixture ensured a good turn out from our young athletes with 26 turning up to test their mettle over the undulating course adjacent to the track. This was the best turn out since pre Covid days and hopefully the trend will continue onto the final fixture at Derby on Saturday 16th December.
As usual there were six races on the programme catering for the under 11, 13 and 15 age groups. The increased numbers of AVEAC athletes meant that in the under 11 and 13 events the club was able to ensure full scoring teams in both the boys’s and girls’s races. Numbers taking part at under 15 level were very low compared to a few years ago, so much so, that no club had a full complement of scoring runners in the team races. Unfortunately this is a trend that is happening in many areas of the country!
Under 11s
A great turn out of ten AVEAC young athletes in the girl’s race, several of them running over the country for the first time, saw Summer Biggs finish in eighth place over an approximate distance of 1km recording a time 4.51 minutes. She was ably supported by Katherine Turner, a second behind, in ninth with Ruby Arnold placing tenth, a further second behind. The close packing of the three AVEAC runners ensured second place in the team race with a combined score of 27 points (the team scorings are based on the best three finishing athletes in each club). Derby AC with their top three completing the race in third, fourth and sixth places placed first overall and, High Peak were third, a point behind the AVEAC trio. The other AVEAC placings in the race were; Florence Sibley (12th), Florence Protheroe (15th), Isla Grace (17th), Sophie Humphrey (18th), Claudia Sangster (19th), Amy Brackenbury (20th) and Amber Smith (21st).
In the boy’s race we had five athletes in action with Kyran McCrellis running with great determination to place third overall. His time of 6:43 over the 1500m course was within striking distance of Derby’s Jenson Payne and High Peaks’s Alfred Pritchard who finished a few seconds ahead in first and second. Vincent Smith and George Whittleton making their crross country debuts did well to finish in 10th and 11th places with times of 7:18 and 7:28. The scoring three placed third in the team match on 24 points, a point behind High Peak in second with Derby again packing well to take the honours on 12 points. Further down the field were Jasper Sangster in 14th place (7:43) and Jack Ewart, 15th (7:54).
Under 13s
AVEAC had a team of three in the girl’s under 13 race over 1500m. Isla Douglas was our highest placer finishing fifth in 9:24, in sixth was another debutee, Bibi Mulholland who returned a time of 10:20 and the AVEAC team was complete with Olivia Irvine coming home in 10th. A combined score of 21 points saw the three girls finish second overall.
Six AVEAC boys raced over a approximate 3km course. Charlie Davies led the group finishing fifth in 12:44. Two seconds adrift in sixth place was Harvey Glover. Lucas Sangster made up the third team scoring place in ninth place, giving a total score of 20 points, which ensured the runner up spot behind an excellent Derby team whose three scoring athletes finish first, second and third. The three non-scoring AVEAC runners were Alfie Ray in 10th, Isacc Smith -13th and Gabriel Parr – 14th.
Under 15
With Erin Colebrook (Buxton AC) not contesting this race, AVEAC’s Madeleine Turner totally dominated proceedings and had a huge winning margin over the 3km course. Her time of 12:58 was well over a minute ahead of runner up Emily Whitehead (Derby AC). AVEAC newcomer Jessica Dickenson did well and completed her first club cross country race in fourth. In a very small field, the boy’s race over 4.5km saw our only representative Sam Davies, get round the course in 21:45 to finish third.
Hopefully at the final fixture in a few weeks time a few more under 15s will turn out to support Sam, Madeleine and Jessica to ensure a full complement in the team proceedings.
A big thank you to the organising team for setting up the course and team managers and course marshalls for their hard work on the day.
Report – Joe McColgan
Photos – Sarah Turner