Essex Schools Cross Country
Championships, Canvey Island, 19 January 2002
Individual
titles for Faye Fullerton and Megan Foley, and silver medal spots for Charlotte
Watkins, Sara Luck and Lauren Deadman, were the highlights of a good morning at
the Essex Schools Cross Country championships at Canvey Island today.
Megan emerged victorious in a ding-dong battle with Charlotte in the
junior girls race, with three other HMAC members in the top ten. Lauren Deadman
gave Faye Fullerton a tough race in the senior girls event, while Sara Luck was
silver medallist in the Intermediate girls event. With eight places in each age
category in the Essex team for the English Schools Championships at stake seven
HMAC can expect selection based on their top 8 finishes.
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In
the junior girls event teammates Megan Foley and Charlotte Watkins resumed their
ding-dong battle where they left off in the clubs championship at Basildon two
weeks before. This time on a much flatter course, without the challenging
Basildon hills, it was Megan who set off at a blistering early pace for the
first half while Charlotte did her best to stay within striking distance, with
young Katie Richardson still in touch in fourth. As the 3km race unwound into
the final stages along the creek on the Thames estuary venue all the leaders
were unsettled by being directed off course. Charlotte responded best and as
they entered the grounds of Castle View school with under 400m to run, Megan
still trailed by 10 metres. However her storming finish overhauled her club
rival to claim gold, with Charlotte holding on for second. Katie Richardson was
a tremendous fourth while Lauren Clark had a fabulous run to come home eighth,
to put herself in contention for a place in the Essex team for the English
schools championships. Vicky Smith (25th) and Hayley Thomas (45th) completed the
scoring six for a Havering team victory. Robyn Matson, running for Barking &
Dagenham, placed tenth.
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Megan Foley
overtook Charlotte Watkins in the final stages to claim
gold. Photo Kieran Galvin |
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Faye Fullerton: Photo
Copyright Kieran Galvin
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The
combined Senior and Intermediate Girls event brought another competitive race
and three individual and two team medals for Havering Mayesbrook athletes.
Lauren Deadman put the power of positive thinking to good advantage as she took
on the early pace making which took her ahead of Faye Fullerton and Basildon's
Stacey Ward (running for Southend schools) well clear of the opposition. As the
pace settled down in the biting wind along the sea wall, the threesome extended
their lead, with Fullerton exerting her presence as the race went on to put
daylight between her and her rivals to retain her Senior Girls' title. Lauren
Deadman gritted her teeth and saw off Ward's challenge to claim silver for the
second year. The Havering schools team took gold. Last year's Junior Girls
winner Sara Luck, running for Mid-Essex schools, placed fifth in the combined
intermediate/senior race and claimed the silver medal in her own Intermediate
age group.
There
was less success for the boys although the Havering schools junior boys, mainly
made up of club members, gained bronze. |
Faye Fullerton (17) and Sara Luck (61)
at start of Senior & Inter Girls' race
Photo
Copyright Kieran Galvin |
Danny Skelt (46) jostles for position at
start of Inter Boys' race
Photo Copyright Kieran
Galvin
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Link
to more photos
HMAC
Members' results (Havering Schools unless stated)
Junior
Girls (3.1km):
1st
- Megan Foley; 2nd Charlotte Watkins;
4th
- Katie Richardson; 8th - Lauren Clark;
10th - Robyn
Matson (Barking & Dagenham); 25th – Vicky Smith; 45th - Hayley Thomas;
(Havering Team: 1st - 85 points).
Also:
54th - Hayley Charman (84 finished)
Intermediate
Girls (4.2km):
2nd
- Sara Luck (Mid Essex); 15th -
Liz Shrimpton; 16th - Ria
Lyons (Mid Essex) 27th Laura Moore; 31st Caroline Smith; 32nd - Lynsey Clark;
37th Charlene Glover (Mid Essex); 43rd - Nicola Schofield (Havering team 3rd)
Senior
Girls (4.2km):
1st -
Faye Fullerton; 2nd - Lauren Deadman; 13th -
Fay Powell; 16th - Michelle Groom (Team - 1st)
Junior
Boys (4.2km):
10th
– Ashley Reece (Barking
& Dagenham); 13th
- Ross Clarke; 16th - Aaron Churchouse; 18th - Andrew Luck; 35th - Paul Andrews;
38th - Matthew
Watkins; 48th - David Nefs (Team:
3rd)
Intermediate
Boys (5.7km):
10th - Rob Howe
(Mid Essex); 13th - Joe Golding (Basildon); 32nd - Andrew Meech; 37th - Danny
Skelt; 38th - Tom Bond (Basildon); ??th - Ashley Roberts (Barking &
Dagenham) 65th - James Dean.
Senior
Boys (6.5km):
7th -
Martin Heys; ??th - Andrew Hunter
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