ERME Valley Harriers’ Matthew Gilvear and City of Plymouth’s Molly Shorey and Jazz Jackman were among the winners as the Westward Cross Country League returned on Sunday.
The opening event of this year’s series was staged at Plympton’s Newnham Park with the usual Plymouth venue of Central Park unavailable.
And runners were treated to conditions more associated with the track season rather than cross country running.
Gilvear and Shorey both impressed in the under-17 age group.
Erme Valley’s Gilvear claimed his maiden Westward League win in the boys’ race where he edged out Newquay & Par’s Blake Williams by four seconds.
In the same race, City of Plymouth’s Thomas Jones came fifth and Gilvear’s Erme Valley team-mate Charlie Milward took ninth.
City of Plymouth’s Shorey, who has just moved up to under-17 level at cross country, produced a storming run at Newnham Park to not only win her race but also come third woman overall behind Exeter University students Ffion Higginson and Katie Balme.
Shorey’s City of Plymouth team-mate Holly Reid was not far behind to take second under-17 and come sixth overall.
City of Plymouth totally dominated the under-17 girls’ race, with six runners in the top nine. Molly Gibey was fourth, Martha Wilson fifth, Phoebe Timson seventh and Bella May ninth.
The under-17 girls were again run in joint race with the under-17 boys and senior woman.
In the senior women’s race, Erme Valley’s Faith Taylor-Tippett came fouth, with City of Plymouth’s Hannah Blair fifth. Erme Valley’s Cleo Perry was also in the top 10 woman and was second F50. East Cornwall Harriers’ Sharon Daw was first F55 and City of Plymouth took second in the team standings behind a strong Exeter University side. Tavistock were third in the veteran team standings.
In a strong men’s race, dominated by Exeter-based athletes, there was a good run by Plymouth Harriers’ Johnny Gilby. He was seventh overall and first M40 by nearly three minutes.
The men’s race was won by Exeter University’s Thomas Crockett, who beat last year’s national under-17 champion Sam Mills.
Tavistock’s Run Project’s Jordan Andrews just missed out on the top 10 by two seconds. He came 11th, with University of Plymouth’s Zechariah Cohen just a second behind in 12th. Plymouth Harriers’ Andy Charles was first M60.
Tamar Trotters, led home by Mike Wilsmore, came fourth team.
In the under-15 boys’ race, City of Plymouth’s Isaac Lamerton came an impressive third, just two seconds behind North Devon’s Christopher Oliveira, with Exeter’s Will Birchall taking victory.
Tavistock’s Caleb Gifford-Grove was fourth, with Erme Valley’s Luke Hayes seventh and Tavistock’s Noah Reid also making the top 10.
In the under-15 girls’ event, there were top 10 finishes for Tavistock’s Anya McAulay, who came fifth, and City of Plymouth’s Abbie Chapman, who was seventh.
City of Plymouth took second in the team standings in the under-13 boys’ race, with Daniel Salmon coming fourth and Freddie Bright also in the top 10.
There was also a fourth place for Tavistock’s Lamorna Cox in the under-13 girls’ event, with team-mate Zoe Bigham not far behind in sixth. City of Plymouth’s Elsie Goodspeed was also a top 10 finisher.
City of Plymouth’s Jazz Jackman was a dominant winner in the under-11 girls’ race. Team-mate Jess Gardiner was third as City of Plymouth had five in the top 10. Tilly Day came fifth, Jenni Merrifield seventh and Margot Goodspeed ninth.
In the under-11 boys’ competition, City of Plymouth’s Finley Eales finished third, with team-mate Lucas Sweeney just behind in fourth and Tavistock’s Tristan Bigham fifth.
Full results can be found HERE.
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