ATHLETES from City of Plymouth, Tavistock AC, Erme Valley Harriers, Plymouth Harriers and Tamar Trotters were out in force as the Westward Cross Country League got underway at Plympton’s Newnham Park on Sunday.
Unlike in previous years, organisers decided to start this season’s league off with a relay event.
And the new format did attract some non-traditional cross country runners to help their clubs out, especially in the senior men’s race which was run over 6,000m instead of the usual 9,000m.
Teams were made up of three athletes, with individual time rankings counting towards the overall series.
Tavistock AC might have been missing the nationally-ranked Freddie Whybrow, Thomas Hennessey and Luke Scott-Tucker, but they dominated the under-18 boys’ race, which was run alongside the senior men.
Their young trio of Eldon Young, Arthur Norton and Alistair Graham finished nearly two minutes ahead of their under-18 nearest rivals and were 12th fastest team overall.
Young was the quickest under-18, completing the 6,000m course in damp conditions in 18.08 minutes. Norton was fourth fastest in that age group with a 19.22-minute leg.
City of Plymouth’s trio of James Goudie, James Luscombe and Will Luscombe were fourth in the under-18 competition.
In the senior men’s race, City of Plymouth claimed runners-up spot behind Exeter University.
The Plymouth team, which was made up of Fraser Holman, Luke Gribbin and Joshua Blake, completed the 18,000m in 54.11 minutes. Blake, better known for his 800m running, was the fifth quickest overall with a 17.56-minute leg.
Erme Valley Harriers’ Ben Holmes was second fastest overall after winning the first leg in 17.15 minutes. He linked up with Ben Bristow and Luke Hayes as they finished seventh in the senior men’s race.
Plymouth Harriers’ trio of James Cartlidge, Will Cole and Jack Dee were 11th overall.
Dee and City of Plymouth’s Holman finished joint eighth quickest individually in 18.04 minutes.
Tamar Trotters’ Mike Wilsmore was quickest M40 with an 18.30-minute run, with Tavistock AC’s Sam Larkham second in that age group, while Plymouth Harriers’ Johnny Gilby was fastest M45.
The senior women’s event, which also saw each runner complete 6,000m round the Newnham estate, was dominated by Exeter University, who filled the top two slots and had four sides within the top 10.
City of Plymouth’s trio of Isabella May, Annie Arnold and Ailsa Hewish came ninth in the senior race (full under-18 teams not included), while Tavistock AC’s side of Hannah Smith, Charlotte Walker and Grace Gokhale were 10th.
City of Plymouth’s Arnold was second fastest individual woman, clocking 20.07 seconds, which was just a second behind Exeter University’s Jenny Leggate.
The under-14 and under-16 athletes competed over a 3,000m lap and City of Plymouth AC impressed over the distance.
Their under-14 boys’ side of Jack Penney, Dante Nusser and Alfie Nicholson finished second in their age group, with Penney running the fourth fastest time in the category.
Olivia Walkerdine was the quickest under-14 girl with a 10.33-minute run. She linked up with Theia Jones and Sadie Block as City of Plymouth took third team in that age group.
Their club colleagues of Evie Bolt, Ivy Ling and Shara Ingleby were just behind in fourth place.
City of Plymouth’s under-16 boys’ trio of Lucas Sweeney, Sebastian Travers and Finley Eales came fifth overall in their section, with Sweeney also the fifth fastest individually.
The under-12s ran a one-mile lap and City of Plymouth’s girls’ team of Chloe Souness, Genevieve Stone and Evie Jearvis were second in their category, while their male counterparts of Dempsey Ingleby, Archie Adcock and Emerson Viant were third in the boys’ race.
Erme Valley Harriers’ side of Jack Squires, Alfie Carroll and Elijah Anderson were just behind them in fourth.
Tavistock AC’s Dominin Drew-Hill was the joint fourth fastest under-12 boy, while City of Plymouth’s Souness was second quickest girl.
The next round of the Westward League will take place at Newquay on November 15.
Results from Newnham Park can be found HERE.
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