TAVISTOCK AC’S Freddie Whybrow enjoyed an impressive weekend with two eye-catching cross country performances.
On Saturday, Whybrow came within millimetres of winning the intermediate boys’ race at the English Schools’ Cross Country Cup in Rugby.
Whybrow, competing for Mount Kelly College, did look like he might just have pipped St Paul’s Charlie Nicholson on the line. However, on a photo finish, Nicholson was given the win by just 0.02 of a second.
Mount Kelly did finish fifth overall in the team competition, with Whybrow’s fellow Tavistock AC team-mate Luke Scott-Tucker finishing fifth.
Both athletes had their long spikes on again the following day for the third round of the Westward Cross Country League and Devon County Championships at Exeter.
Despite running on tired legs, Whybrow, in his club vest, stormed to victory in the under-15 boys’ race at Exhibition Fields by 22 seconds.
Scott-Tucker found running two races in muddy conditions a little bit tougher and had to settle for sixth place in both the league race and Devon championships.
Tavistock AC dominated the team event with five athletes inside the top 11.
Arthur Norton came seventh and Eldon Young was 10th overall and eighth in the Devon event, with Graham Alistair 11th overall and ninth in the county championships.
In the under-15 girls’ race at Exeter on Sunday, City of Plymouth’s Elsie Goodspeed finished second in both the league and county events behind Exeter’s Ellie Birchall.
Fellow City of Plymouth athlete Evie Welsh also came second in both the league and county events at under-13 level, with her team-mate Olivia Walkerdine fifth in the league race and fourth in the Devon competition.
Another City of Plymouth runner, Annabel Arnold, finished third in the senior women’s league race but was not running in the Devon Championships.
Fellow Cornish athlete Bex Ezra-Ham, running for Tamar Trotters, was fourth in the senior league meeting, while Tavistock’s Charlotte Walker was seventh senior and claimed silver in the Devon under-20 age group.
Tavistock AC’s Jo Meek was second F45 in the league meeting and first in the Devon Championships, where she was fourth senior woman overall.
Erme Valley Harriers’ Sally Erith was fifth overall in the county event and first F40 in both the league and Devon events, while club colleague Emma Lake won both F50 competitions.
Tavistock’s Jenny Jeeves triumphed in the F55 age group, with Plymouth Harriers’ Karen Blakemore taking victory in both F60 events.
Tavistock AC won the Devon masters’ title and were second in the senior women’s category.
Erme Valley Harriers’ Ben Holmes produced a strong run in the senior men’s race. He finished third overall and second in the Devon Championships.
There were age group county titles for Tavistock’s Ben Neale (M40), Plymouth Harriers’ Johnny Gilby (M45), Tavistock’s David Harris (M60) and Tavistock Run Project’s David Chanter (M70), while Erme Valley’s Charlie Milward was third under-20.
In the under-17 boys’ competition, Erme Valley’s Luke Hayes came sixth overall and fifth in the Devon event, while Tavistock AC’s Connor Duffin was seventh overall and sixth in the county championship.
City of Plymouth’s Cornish athlete Lucas Sweeney finished fourth in the under-13 league race, with Tavistock AC’s Tristan Bigham seventh and City of Plymouth’s Sebastian Travers 10th overall and sixth in the county contest.
The under-11 races were non-Devon County Championships events and were just league races.
As in the first two league meetings, City of Plymouth once again dominated the under-11 girls’ race. They had six finishers inside the top 10.
Evie Bolt continued her strong season by winning at Exeter on Sunday, with club colleague Genevieve Stone third, Chloe Souness fourth, Shara Ingleby fifth, Serena Bigham seventh and Harper Linney-Goodall ninth.
In the under-11 boys’ race, City of Plymouth’s Jack Penney finished second, just one second behind Cornwall’s red Pochee. Erme Valley Harriers’ William Rogers came eighth in the same race.
Full results can be found HERE.
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