TAVISTOCK AC’S Charlotte Walker continued her impressive form by claiming her first Westward League Cross Country win on Sunday at Westward Ho!
After claiming the South West Inter-County Championship under-20 title last weekend, Walker stormed to victory in the senior women’s race in north Devon by nearly a minute.
She clocked 18.45 minutes for the race, with Exeter University’s Inca Padfield taking second in 19.32 minutes and Tavistock AC’s Jo Meek finishing third overall and first F45 in 19.34 minutes.
City of Plymouth’s Molly Shorey was sixth overall and second under-17 athlete, with her team-mate Bella May sixth in the U17 category.
There was a good run in the senior men’s race by Erme Valley Harriers’ under-20 athlete Matthew Gilvear. He finished second overall behind Exeter University’s Mark Ruby.
Plymouth Harriers’ Johnny Gilby was seventh and first M40, with Tavistock AC’s Ben Neale just behind in eighth.
City of Plymouth had both winners of the under-11 age group.
Lucas Sweeney backed up his win at Exeter in December by also winning at Westward Ho!
His team-mates Jack Penney and Jacob Sweeney were fifth and sixth and Tavistock’s Arthur Moyse was eighth.
City of Plymouth and Tavistock AC filled all the top 10 places in the under-11 girls’ race in north Devon.
Daisy Elliot took victory by seven seconds ahead of Tavistock’s Evie Welsh.
Tavistock’s Olivia Walkerdine was third, City of Plymouth’s Margot Goodspeed, Genevieve Stone and Theia Jones were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, Tavistock’s Fearne Brogden was seventh, with City of Plymouth’s Harper Linney-Goodall, Tilly Day and Evie Bolt filling the rest of the top 10 places.
In the under-13 girls’ race, City of Plymouth’s Elsie Goodspeed claimed second place, with team-mate Ayla Orgacki sixth.
There was also a second place finish for Tavistock AC’s Connor Duffin in the under-15 boys’ age group.
In the under-13 boys’ age group, City of Plymouth’s Finley Eales came fourth, with Tavistock’s Thomas Hennessy and Freddie Whybrow fifth and sixth and City of Plymouth’s Taylan Jones eighth.
In the under-17 boys’ race, Tavistock’s Noah Reid was fifth, while team-mate Anya McAulay came seventh in the under-15 girls’ event.
Full results can be found HERE.
Meanwhile, City of Plymouth’s Holly Reid easily claimed the senior girls’ Cornwall Schools’ Cross Country title in Truro on Saturday by more than a minute.
There was a silver medal for club college Jazz Jackman (Looe CC) in the minor girls’ race, while there was also top eight finishes for Torpoint’s Jack White (5th, intermediate boys) and Saltash’s Jacob Robinson (7th, senior boys) and Abbie Chapman (8th intermediate girls).
Across in America, City of Plymouth’s Emily Bee and David King enjoyed encouraging starts to 2024 in indoor events.
Bee set a new personal best of 8.74 seconds as she finished second in the women’s 60m at the Jud Logan Memorial. She also jumped 5.41m in the long jump event.
Reigning British indoor 60m hurdles men’s champion King got his season underway by finishing second in the Friday Night Axe ‘Em Open in Flagstaff, Arizona. King clocked 7.77 seconds to finish behind his American training partner Freddie Crittenden. It moves King straight to the top of the early UK rankings.