City of Plymouth’s Annabel Arnold wins South West Cross Country title, while Tavistock AC impress at U15 level

CITY of Plymouth’s Annabel Arnold stormed to victory in the senior women’s race at the South West Club & County Cross Country Championships at RNAS Merryfield on Saturday.

There were also individual medals at the Somerset event for Tavistock AC’s Thomas Hennessey and Freddie Whybrow and City of Plymouth’s Elsie Goodspeed and Jack Penney.

Arnold, representing City of Plymouth and Cornwall, took the senior women’s title by a massive 25 seconds. She also led Cornwall to the county team title.

Tamar Trotters’ Bex Ezra-Ham was sixth overall and fifth senior in the same race and was also part of Cornwall’s successful team.

Tavistock’s Hannah Walker came eighth under-20 and helped Devon to that age category team prize, while Plymouth Harriers’ Karen Blakemore was third F55.

Tavistock athletes were out in force in the under-15 boys’ race, and they eased to the club team victory with five runners in the top 17.

Thomas Hennessey and Freddie Whybrow battled with Poole’s Theo Cobley for the individual title. Dorset athlete Cobley just took victory by three seconds ahead of Hennessey, who came runner-up, with Whybrow just another four seconds behind in third place.

Luke Scott-Tucker came fifth, with Eldon Young 10^th and Arthur Norton also making the top 20 with a 17^th-placed finish. Devon won the county team prize in that age group.

There was also a good race in the under-15 girls’ category, with City of Plymouth’s Elsie Goodspeed taking second place behind fellow Devon athlete Ellie Birchall (Exeter Harriers). Goodspeed’s club team-mate Zoe Bigham came 14^th, while Devon won the county team category.

City of Plymouth claimed the club team runner-up prize in the under-13 boys’ age group with three runners in the top 20. Lucas Sweeney, also representing Cornwall, came fifth and helped his county to top team honours, while Tristan Bigham was 14^th and Rafe Jackson 17^th.

City of Plymouth’s Jack Penney came third in the non-county championship under-11 boys’ race, with Genevieve Stone fourth in the under-11 girls’ category and Serena Bigham ninth.

In the under-13 girls’ race, Olivia Walkerdine (16^th) and Margot Goodspeed (19^th) both made the top 20 as City of Plymouth came third club team.

New City of Plymouth athlete Luke Gibbin had a strong run in the men’s senior race, finishing 13^th, with Tamar Trotters’ Jacob Landers taking 17^th place and helping Cornwall to the county team prize, with Plymouth Harriers’ Jack Dee 18^th.

Full results can be found HERE.