GALLERY: Jones, Smart and Russell among winners at final Westward Cross Country League Series meeting

CITY of Plymouth’s Thomas Jones, Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart and Tavistock AC’s Will Russell were among the winners at the final event of the Westward Cross Country League Series at Redruth on Sunday.

The last leg of the series saw athletes having to battle with gale-force winds, rain and mud.

The worst of the weather conditions were for the joint under-17 and women’s race, but they were unable to stop Oliver Smart continuing his dominance of the boys’ category.

He stormed home two minutes ahead to not only wrap up victory at Redruth but also the under-17 series title. Second-place on Sunday went to Tavistock AC’s Bradley Stevens.

In the under-13 boys’ race, Plymouth’s Jones made it back-to-back wins after also triumphing at Stover last month with a strong run at Redruth. In the same event, Tavistock’s Nicolas Maczugowskis came seventh.

Tavistock’s Russell pulled off a good win by 38 seconds in the under-15 race on Sunday, with club colleague Abraham Reid fourth and Erme Valley’s Samuel Oakshott fifth.

In the under-11 boys’ section, City of Plymouth’s Barnaby Hutchings came fourth and Erme Valley Harriers’ Callum Williams sixth.

Tavistock Run Project filled three of the top five places in the men’s race at Redruth. Jordan Andrews took third behind Cornwall AC’s Jordan Clay and Colin Snook, with Chris Rimmer fourth and Edward Smart fifth. Tavistock AC’s Will Dax was ninth. Run Project did finish the series as second team overall.

Tavistock AC’s Martin Exley-Deane made it a clean sweep of race wins to take the series title in the men’s V55 category. Erme Valley Harriers’ Ken Summers was the overall winner in the V65 section, just ahead of Tavistock’s Robert Chapman. Plymouth Harriers’ Steve Risdon was third V40 overall, while Erme Valley’s David Engledew was third V55.

City of Plymouth once again showed their strength in the under-13 and under-11 girls’ categories. In both races they had four athletes in the top 10.

Molly Shorey enjoyed a great battle with Torbay’s Iona Farquharson. The pair swapped the lead a number of times before Farquharson just pulled away in the final couple of hundred metres to take the victory. Farquharson sealed the series win, with Shorey second overall.

Fourth place on Sunday went to Plymouth’s Molly Gilbey, with team-mates Holly Reid sixth and Verity Tank 10^th. Tavistock’s Matilda Riggot came seventh. Not surprisingly, Plymouth won the overall team award.

Plymouth’s Madeline Jones could not have come closer to winning the under-11 girls’ race in Cornwall. She was just beaten by one second by Bideford’s Freya Woodhead. Jones’ Plymouth team-mates Isabella Morris came fifth, Olivia Thomas eighth and Millie Westward 10^th.

Tavistock AC enjoyed success in the under-15 girls’ event with three runners in the top five. Amelia Riggott finished second to Cornwall’s Maisy Luke, with Kristyna Cade third and Elyse Kedzior-MacDonough fifth.

In the under-17 girls’ race that was run with the senior women, Tavistock’s Tilly McDowell came third, with Erme Valley’s April Oakshott coming fourth on Sunday but claiming second overall. Tavistock’s Natasha Farrington didn’t run at Redruth but she took third overall in the series.

Erme Valley Harriers’ Cleo Perry had another good run at the weekend to finish third in the senior women’s race behind Cornwall’s Heidi Tregenza and Imogen Wood. Plymouth University’s Bethan Moor was fourth, with Erme Valley’s Emma Lake sixth, Tavistock’s Sam Lake eighth and Run Project’s Jennifer Sabine ninth.

Plymouth Harriers’ Ami Yetton was not at Redruth but she had already done enough in the other races to claim first place in the V35 category ahead of Tavistock’s Sam Lake.

Tavistock’s Emma White was third overall in the V40 section, with Erme Valley’s Perry claiming second in the series in the V45 category, where Plymouth Harriers’ Jane Allison was third.

Tamar Trotters’ Claire Davidson secured the overall V50 title, with Erme Valley’s Linda McFadzen second. Her club colleague Alison Engledew claimed the V60 crown, while Tavistock’s Helen Kula-Przezwanksi took a series third place in the V55 section.

Tavistock were second in both the senior women’s and veteran women’s team categories, with Erme Valley third vets team and fifth senior side just behind Plymouth Harriers in fourth.

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