VIDEO & GALLERY: Region’s athletes impress at combined Westward League and Devon Cross Country Championships

CITY of Plymouth, Tavistock AC, Tavistock Run Project, Plymouth Harriers, Erme Valley Harriers and Tamar Trotters all enjoyed success on Sunday at the third Westward Cross Country League meeting of the season at Exeter, which also included the Devon County Championships.

There was a great, high-quality battle in the senior men’s race which saw Highgate’s reigning Devon champion Flurry Grierson take on Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart.

The pair had both finished inside the top nine in the men’s under-23 race at the recent British trials for the European Cross Country Championships in Liverpool.

Smart had finished seventh in that race, just missing out on selection for the national team, with Grierson coming ninth.

The pair were neck and neck all the way around Sunday’s 8km muddy course at Exeter, but Grierson just sprinted away in the final 150m to take victory in the Devon County Championship race.

Smart did win the Westward League meeting, with Tamar Trotters’ Jacob Landers second in that race and third overall.

Plymouth Harriers’ Jack Dee was 11^th overall in the league meeting and came third in the Devon Championships under-20 race, while Tavsitock AC’s Ben Neale finished just one place behind him overall and was second M35 in the county event.

There were Devon age group titles for Plymouth Harriers’ Johnny Gilby (M45), Tavistock Run Project’s Jim Cole (M40), Erme Valley’s Allister Bristow (M50) and City of Plymouth’s Simon Anderson (M60).

Tavistock Run Project came second in the Devon team event and Plymouth Harriers were third in the men’s masters’ county team category.

Tavistock AC and Plymouth Harriers both finished second and third in the senior women’s and masters’ women’s Devon team events.

In the Westward League senior women’s race, City of Plymouth’s Annabel Arnold came fourth, while Tavistock AC’s Charlotte Walker and Molly Shorey also made the top 10 and came second and third in the Devon U20 race, respectively.

Tavistock AC’s Jo Meek came third senior woman in the Devon Championships and first F45, with team-mate Sam Lake second in the same age group.

Erme Valley Harriers’ Elizabeth Bristow won the F50 Devon title.

In the under-17 girls’ race, Tavistock’s Claudia Jones was 10^th in the league meeting and fifth in the county event, while in the corresponding boys’ race, Erme Valley Harriers’ Luke Hayes came sixth in the league meeting and was fifth in the county event.

Tavistock’s Zoe Bigham came fourth in both the league and county race in the under-15 girls’ event, with City of Plymouth’s Elsie Goodspeed eighth in both.

Tavistock AC’s Thomas Hennessey was fifth overall and fourth in the Devon race in the under-15 boys’ event, with team-mate Eldon Young also in the top 10 to help his club to a county silver medal.

There was a competitive race in the under-13 boys’ age group where City of Plymouth’s Finley Eales came fifth overall and took the silver medal in the Devon Championships, while his team-mate Lucas Sweeney finished just two seconds behind him in sixth overall.

City of Plymouth’s Evie Welsh continued her good form in the under-11 league race by claiming victory, with Tavistock’s Olivia Walkerdine second. City of Plymouth’s Evie Bolt and Margot Goodspeed were sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the under-11 boys’ race, City of Plymouth’s Jack Penney came second, with Erme Valley Harriers’ William Rogers and Arthur Nicholson and City of Plymouth’s Jacob Sweeney also in the top 10.

Westward League results can be found HERE.

Devon County Championship results can be found HERE.

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