Megan Foley ran superbly to claim individual silver in the under 15 race at the National Cross Country Champs at the tough Parliament Hill course yesterday. With Katie Richardson a superb fifth, backed up by excellent runs from Robyn Matson (38th) and Helen Roche (58th) the quartet's reward was third place and bronze medals in the team stakes. There were top ten finishes from Debbie Sullivan (7th senior women) and Faye Fullerton (8th in junior women) who both improved on their recent Inter Counties placings of 24th and 18th. The u13 boys team, despite late withdrawals, was lifted by Bradley Tungatt's 16th position and Matthew Watkins in 55th. Sara Luck was 35th in the u17 women's event, Ross Clarke 42nd in the u15 boys, and Hayley Thomas (55th) and Clare Robinson (57th) were best placed in the u13 girls.   (added 23/02/03)   

Megan Foley

Katie Richardson, Megan Foley and Ashley Reece all struck gold for Essex Schools in the Southern Inter Counties Cross Country at Southampton on Saturday. Katie's success came in the junior girls' event, which she won by 24 secs, as Essex took team silver, with Lauren Clark (26th) in the scoring six and Hayley Thomas 53rd. Megan Foley turned in another class performance to win the Intermediate Girls' race by 15 secs, with Sara Luck back in form in third, as their Essex team mates secured gold. Robyn Matson (23rd), Vicky Smith (25th) and Helen Roche (34th) scored for the Essex B team which placed 4th.  Ashley Reece showed he's back to his best as he took gold in the junior boys' competition with a seven secs advantage, with club mate Ross Clarke also in the medals in third, and Bradley Tungatt in 13th - all three contributing to the Essex team's gold. Ria Lyons placed 14th in the senior girls' race as Essex were 2nd, while Andrew Meech (18th - Inter boys) and Martin Heys (20th - senior boys) were also in action. (added 15/02/03 & revised 19/2/03)

Ashley Reece - junior boys' gold

Three talented club members are among 279 nationally to each receive grants ranging from £100 to £500 totaling a record £48,000 from the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund. Those to benefit are Under 23 heptathlete Kate Brewington, junior middle distance international Faye Fullerton, whose summer 2002 season was wrecked by injury, and English Schools discus medallist Mel Harrison. The charity was set up after the death of the well-known TV presenter and supports young athletes with support towards training and equipment costs. (added 15/02/03)

Mel Harrison

Neil and Tony Collins competed last weekend for Great Britain in the European Cross Country Champs for Learning Disabilities at the Almond Blossom course in Portugal. Both performed with great success in the short course 3km on Saturday and the long course 6km on Sunday. In the 3km Neil led the largest field ever assembled in these championships for the first 2km and fought hard only to be overtaken in the final kilometre for second, then pipped on the line to finish 3rd. Tony ran a very strong race finishing 14th and along with other GB team members they won a team silver medal. This was an outstanding performance as last year Neil finished 18th in the same race in which no British athlete had ever finished in the top 10 before and no team had ever won a medal before. On the Sunday on the 6km race, with a slightly different field as some athletes chose only to run the longer event, Neil continued his excellent form and finished 5th with brother Tony finishing 14th again, while the team won bronze. (added 11/02/03)

Neil Collins

Three club records fell as the club's golden girls virtually swept the medals board in the Essex County Indoor Championships at Chelmsford today. There was double gold each for Christina Kalejaiye and Lucy Sargent. Christina improved her club best to 8.0 secs in winning gold in the 60m sprint under 17 event, after earlier smashing her long jump PB with a winning 5.10m leap. Lucy won u15 60m gold in a new club best of 8.1 secs and improved her long jump PB to 4.99m. Kirsty Smith broke the 11m barrier, triple jumping to a new club u17 record, indoors or out of 11.04m, an 11cm improvement on her own mark set at the end of last season. There was a virtual clean sweep in the girls' 60m hurdles races as HMAC athletes made it 1-2 in each age group. Nicola Hill and Catrina McAuliffe ran PBs to take u13 gold and silver, Lisa Schofield got the better of Helen McDonnell in the u15 race, while Chloe van Wulven and Nicola Schofield took the u17 honours. For Chloe it was also double gold, as she had earlier soared over a new high jump PB of 1.65m. Their hurdles medal tally added to Claire Brennan's gold in the senior race on Saturday. On day one also Ricky Brown won men's triple jump gold and Steve Prady and Mark Connelly made it junior men's high jump one two.   (added 10/02/03)

Christina Kalejaiye

Lucy Sargent

Megan Foley was the star turn at Nottingham as she produced a stunning finish to grab third place in the u15 girls race in the Inter Counties Cross County Championships at Nottingham yesterday. And Katie Richardson also shone as she placed ninth in the same race, after tracking Megan most of the way, before being overhauled late on. In the u15 boys event Ashley Reece ran strongly to finish close to the top 20, as did Bradley Tungatt in the u13 boys event. Clare Robinson, Hayley Thomas &Michaela Roberts were back in the pack in the u13 girls race. Other club athletes saw their hopes fade as missed training through illness and injury took its toll. Among them was Debbie Sullivan, 24th in the senior women's race, and Faye Fullerton, similarly placed in the u20 women. Sara Luck also made a late decision to run in the u17 event, after illness, while Matthew Watkins pulled out due to sickness.  (added 9/01/03)

Star turns - Katie Richardson & Megan Foley

Six young athletes have been called up to compete for the Essex Sportshall team in the Eastern Regional Inter County Final at Norwich on 15th February. In the under 13 girls category sprint star Natasha White and all-rounder Nicola Hill have been selected, while in the boys' team newcomer Jack Damon gets the nod. The strongest club contingent is in the under 15 girls age group where three up and coming stars will be in action. Sprinter Christina Kalejaiye and sprinter-jumper Lucy Sargent, who showed good form recently in the South of England Champs, will be joined by high jumper-hurdler Helen McDonnell. The top county teams from each age group in the Norwich fixture will progress to the national finals where Essex have a strong record of success.  (7/2/03)

Natasha White

Jason Lendon stepped up in style to place 17th in the Essex 20 mile championships at Rochford last weekend. The steeplechase specialist, who is in training for the London Marathon, had never previously run further than 14 miles but came home in 2 hours 6 mins and 43 secs.  Also training for the big London event in April are Russ Middleton, Rob Dickenson and Martin Chester and hopefully their training will carry over into the track season and fill some of the frequent 5km and 10km gaps of recent years.   (7/2/03)

Jason Lendon

Faye Fullerton took the first steps towards putting her nightmare winter behind her by placing third in the British Universities championships at Oxford on Saturday. The St Mary's Twickenham student had in the build up to this event missed a  further week's training with flu to add to the time lost on her South Africa trip, but on the day she was third in the short course (3k) race in 11m 14 secs, behind Freya Murray (10:54) and Frances Briscoe (11:11). There was an encouraging return to action from Lauren Deadman who returned from a long injury lay off to place a creditable ninth. Faye now races at Nottingham in next weekend's Inter Counties race.  (2 & 3/2/03)

Kate Brewington was in fine form indoors at Birmingham on Saturday. She was within 5 cms of her long jump club best when leaping 5.83m to place second in the first of the UK Athletics Domestic indoor series. She also raced to 3rd in the hurdles B race, clocking 8.76 secs, matching her heat time.  (2/2/03)

Faye Fullerton

Graham Pritchard sliced almost three minutes off his 10 miles PB when placing eleventh in the Canterbury 10 road race on Sunday 26th. Entering the Invicta Kent event with a previous best of 58m 31 secs, the 26 year old teacher made great strides forward to achieve an excellent position with a new PB of 55m 46s. Keeping him company were club colleagues Russ Middleton who placed 75th in 63m 10s and Eric Donaldson, one place back in 63m 25s. (30/1/03)

Graham Pritchard

Kate Brewington shrugged off the effects of a cold to place fifth in the pentathlon for Great Britain Under 23s in the combined events international against France and Spain at Cardiff at the weekend. Kate looked in shape to improve her own club best points score when she equalled her 60m hurdles PB of 8.62 secs, finishing fastest overall of the 12 competitors, and she stayed on track with solid performances of 1.61m high jump, 9.96m in the shot and a long jump leap of 5.61m.  Entering the fifth and final event the 800m Kate needed to match her indoor best of 2m 32 secs to improve her club best of 3659 points, set last March.  But the effects of her cold hampered her performance a bit and she finished in 2m 34.40 secs, two seconds short of her target, ending up just 23 points short of her best score with 3636 points. (27/1/03)

Kate Brewington

Chloe van Wulven continued her record breaking form when she again twice improved her club u17 60m hurdles best in the AAAs championships at Birmingham today. She trimmed two-hundredths off her week-old best, finishing second in her heat in 9.04 secs, and then broke the magic 9 secs barriers, clocking 8.99 secs to place an excellent fifth in the final. Megan Foley was also in good form in the u17 800m event. Competing indoors for the first time she came through strongly to place second in her heat on Saturday, and today produced a storming run off the last bend but just failed to catch the third placed girl, finishing fourth in 2m 16.85 secs.  Three other club youngsters were also in championship action. Lisa Schofield improved her 60m sprint best to 8.62 secs, and also trimmed her 60m hurdles time to 9.73 secs. Her elder sister Nicola Schofield was busy, running a 60m sprint season's best of 8.43 secs, placed second in her 200m heat in 26.90 secs, and clocked 9.65 secs for the 60m hurdles. Completing the club contingent was Katie O'Sullivan who cleared 1.55m for 11th in the u17 high jump and she set a season's 60m hurdles best of 10.26 secs. (26/1/03) Full results

Only two club members made the long trip to Exmouth, Devon for the South of England cross country champs on Saturday. In the u13 boys' event Matthew Watkins had a great run to place 13th, while Paul Adair was 45th.  (26/1/03)

Megan Foley - 4th indoors

Chloe van Wulven - record improved again

Robyn Matson and Ashley Reece were both in the limelight last week when they they both picked up awards at the Barking & Dagenham Sports Review of the Year, 2002. At the presentation, held at Goresbrook Leisure Centre on Saturday 18 January, Robyn and Ashley, who were both nominated by the club, picked up the Borough Presentation Individual Girl and Boy Awards. Both have been in good form this winter in the under 15 age group but step up as u17s on the track. (24/1/03)

Robyn Matson (top) and Ashley Reece (right)

Trevor Keys showed good form as the senior men placed fifth in the Essex Cross Country relays at Woodford today. His excellent 12m 35 secs opening leg got the team off to the best of starts as he led the county championship field home, while solid performances from his four teammates Rob Warner (13:15), Graham Pritchard (13:14), Neil Collins (13:54) and Jason Lendon (13:14) ensured a fifth place finish for the scratch squad. (19/1/03)

Trevor Keys

Three club indoor records tumbled in the space of a few hours at Bedford yesterday in the South of England Indoor championships. In the morning Chloe Van Wulven was in record smashing form as she equalled her own 60m hurdles PB and club record of 9.20 secs in her heat and went even faster in the semi final, stopping the clock at 9.06 secs to improve her own mark. But her performance, which would have won gold in last season's championship, was not even enough to qualify for the four girl final this time in a high quality competition. Then in the afternoon the club u15 and u17 60m records both fell. Christina Kalejaiye scorched to a new PB of 8.09 secs to claim the u17 indoor best, placing fourth in her semi final while in the u15 event Lucy Sargent almost matched Christina's time, winning bronze with 8.13 secs to set a new club best. For good measure Lucy leapt to a new long jump PB of 4.94m, to win her second bronze medal. Also in action at Bedford was Claire Brennan who won an uncontested gold in the senior women's 60m hurdles, as the other four entrants failed to show. Kirsty Smith won bronze in the u17 triple jump. (added 18/01/03 & 19/1/03)

Lucy Sargent

Chloe Van Wulven

Megan Foley and Katie Richardson both struck gold in the Essex Schools Championships at Chelmsford's Hylands Park today. Megan came home in front in the Intermediate girls' event, with club colleague Sara Luck taking third while in the junior girls race Katie was victorious, with Lauren Clark grabbing eighth position to qualify for the Essex squad for the national Schools event at Brighton in March. Robyn Matson (10th) and Vicky Smith (11th) were just outside the eight who made the Essex team in the Inter girls' race. Ashley Reece and Ross Clarke were both in the medals in the junior boys' race finishing second and third respectively, to make the Essex team, with Bradley Tungatt placing 15th. Ria Lyons qualified for the national event by placing fourth in the senior girls race. (added 18/01/03)

Double winners - Katie Richardson & Megan Foley

Kate Brewington has been called up again for the UK under 23 squad. The 21 year old student competes again in a Great Britain vest at Cardiff next weekend (25/26 January) in the indoor multi-events international against the Czech Republic, France and Italy. She tackles the five event pentathlon - which is made up of the 60mh, high jump, shot, long jump, and 800m - alongside GB teammates Ros Gonse (Bedford), Rebecca Jones (Wrexham) and Wendy Davidson (Stoke). She will be aiming to better her club best of 3659 points, achieved last March.  (added 16/01/03)

Kate Brewington

Havering Mayesbrook made the most of home advantage with an impressive showing in the final Essex Cross Country League fixture at Stubbers today. There was an individual win for Megan Foley in the u15 girls event, with Katie Richardson runner up as the team romped to victory. Katie also took the individual league crown. There was also team success for the u13 boys as Bradley Tungatt and brother Scott finished second and third on the day. Bradley won the overall prize as Matthew Watkins (8th today) took bronze. The under 13 girls quartet's fourth to seventh placings took the team prize on the day. 

There was also an unexpected team success as the senior women came out on top, and for good measure took the league title, while Laurie Cossey (4th today) took the individual title and Lesley Felton was 1st vet. Sara Luck's 3rd led home the combined u17/u20 ladies to 2nd place, while Ashley Reece's 4th led the u15 boys to 2nd, the same position achieved by the men's u17s. In the individual stakes over the whole season Emma Baglin was 3rd U20 lady and Martin Heys 2nd in the u20 men, which was won by Ryan Prout (2nd claim member).   (added 11/01/03)

(added 12/01/03)

Katie Richardson & Megan Foley 1-2 in U15 Girls race

Bradley & Scott Tungatt track winner James Shane 

Club middle distance star Jo Sullivan had a good reason for missing the county cross-country championships, won by her older sister Debbie - she was at home caring for her new-born daughter.  Baby girl Jamie arrived on Sunday 29th December 2002 at 2.30am, weighing in at 7lb 11ozs. The club is delighted to congratulate the proud parents Jo and Matt. (added 5/01/03)

Jo  Sullivan in track action last summer

Debbie Sullivan was a convincing winner at Basildon today regaining the Essex cross country title. After following the early lead of in-form Linda Jackson (East London RR), Debbie broke free around half way of the 7.7km race to come home in front. Behind her Laurie Cossey placed 18th, with vet Lesley Felton 25th. Irene Bateman finished ahead of Ellie Mole for the fourth scoring slot as the team placed fifth, 14 points away from a medal.  There was good packing from the club runners in the men's event as a storming finish brought Des English home 18th, with Trevor Keys (23rd), Jason Lendon (25th) and Rob Warner (30th) making the top 30 in a big field. Graham Pritchard (46th) and Martin Chester (79th) completed the scoring six who finished fifth, while Tony Collins also took part in 127th.  (added 4/01/03) & pics 

Debbie Sullivan tracks Linda Jackson