Essex Cross Country League, Round 5, Chelmsford 12 January 2008  

Club teams finished the Essex League season in style as the five fixture series ended in brilliant sunshine at Hylands Park Chelmsford. They won seven team medals - three gold - and the same number of individual medals - with two more gold,

 

Eleanor Bounds continued her golden streak at county level with her second individual gold medal in two weeks, making light work of the tough going underfoot on the Essex clay surface. She won the Under 15 Girls' race from the front to claim the individual league gold medal with an impressive four points and led the team to second on the day. The determination and strong running from Rachel Sadler (7th), Amber Turner (13th), Sharmila Golan (15th) and Michelle Lovell (24th), brought home the league trophy which had been returned by the club just two hours earlier. Sidnie Sales dropped out but still won league bronze thanks to her showings in the first four fixtures.

Lauren Deadman was made to battle hard for her victory in the senior women's event, running neck and neck throughout with team mate Debbie Appleton, only shaking off Debbie's strong challenge in the last few hundred yards for her third victory of the series to win the season’s individual gold. Debbie took second place and won the league Vets' 35 silver medal. They were backed up by stalwart team mates Jo Sullivan (15th) and Angie Thompson (33rd) to win third place on the day. The closest of the league contests finished with the club team tying on 16 points with Southend and Colchester, with the latter team taking the league title thanks to their two series wins, one more than the other two teams who shared runners up.

Another team gold went  to the Under 17/Under 20 women. Georgie Sales continued her impressive season with a well won second place on the day and overall bronze for the season.  With Gemma Phillips in her first outing in club colours in fourth and Zoey Littlechild 10th the absence of a fourth runner fortunately could not deny the team a well deserved first place overall for the season having won two of the previous four races and second in the other two.

There was a battle royal in the Under 13 Girls' between our leading two runners with Amanda Blaxland just edging Rebecca Stanley in the home straight to secure her third place on the day and an individual league silver medal. Their excellent form and the consistent support of the rest of the team with Shannon Sullivan (9th), Avril Loynes (13th), Hannah Bloy (20th) and Jessica Fazakerley (26) secured the team second place on the day. Three league victories and two second places ensured the overall team title in the youngest age group.

After last week's poor turn out the boys' team fared better.  Grant Twist continues to blossom from stepping up his training load after joining Warren Roe's senior squad. After his county silver last week he ran away from the Under 17 Men's field to gain a well deserved first league victory for some time and to win him individual league bronze medal. Grant's superb performance led the team to runners-up spot on the day and confirmed their team bronze.  Daniel Shanney (10th), Thomas Shanney (14th) and John Whitehead's 18th completed the scoring four.

Jamie Buckley-Stanton was still short of his best after his recent illness but took a step back to fitness in the Under 15 boys' race in eight and won series bronze. He had the improved support of five team mates this time out but fifth place on the day meant this team were the only age group not to gain a league podium place.

The Under 13 boys again had to settle for an incomplete team as the trio of Thomas Davis (9th), Tyler Bennett (10th) and Ryan O'Mahoney (14th) had solid runs. Their fifth place on the day did not affect their team runners up spot in the league stakes.   

The senior men saved their best performance till last by taking second place and having all six scorers in the top 30. Rob Warner led the team home in 7th place with another powerful run and a strong running Mat Bland was in an impressive 13th. After his great run in the counties Peter Coates continued to shine in 15th while brother Chris showed that talent runs in the family with a greatly improved 24th. Rob Dickenson took another step back towards his best took a very good 27th just in front of ever-present under 20 Rob Jones in his first season against the seniors in 29th completing the scoring six. Veteran Paul Berrett hammered out his best run of the season in 35th while Graham Hogan whose injury kept him out of the county champs last week returned to take 44th with another of the squad returning from illness Tony Collins in 50th. Russ Middleton was another to shake off last week's injury to come home with a season's best 52nd and Roger Winston 85th and Martin McVeigh 108th both returned season's best in very muddy conditions. Even without many of the squad's top runners the senior men still had enough strength in depth to finish an overall third in the league.

  Link to full results & league tables                     

 

 

 

 

 

Under 13 Girls:  2nd - Amanda Blaxland 13:06; 4th Becky Stanley 13:10; 9th - Shannon Sullivan 13:52; 13th - Avril Loynes 14:03 (Team 2nd - 29 pts); 20th - Hannah Bloy 14:32; 26th - Jessica Fazakerley 15:24

Team: 1. Southend - 28; 2. HMAC - 29; 3. Basildon - 49

Final League Standings: 1. HMAC - 7; 2. Southend - 10;  3. Basildon - 14

Final Individual Standing  2nd - Amanda Blaxland 12; 5th Becky Stanley 14; 8th - Shannon Sullivan 37; 11th - Hannah Bloy 46; 14th - Avril Loynes 53; 24th - Jennifer Harries 116

Under 15 Girls: 1st - Eleanor Bounds 14.43; 7th - Rachel Sadler 16:03; 13th - Amber Turner 17:00; 15th - Sharmila Golan - 17:13; (Team 2nd - 36pts) 24th - Michelle Lovell 18:51

Team: 1. Basildon - 30; 2. HMAC - 36; 3. Orion - 64.

Final League Standings: 1. HMAC - 6; 2. Basildon - 11; 3. Orion - 17

Final Individual Standing 1st - Eleanor Bounds 4; 3rd - Sidnie Sales 16; 5th - Rachel Sadler 26; 7th - Amber Turner 34; 14th - Sharmila Golan - 66; 21st - Michelle Lovell 114

Under 17 Girls/ under 20 women:   2nd - Georgie-Lou Sales 18:45; 4th - Gemma Phillips 19:41; 10th - Zoey Littlechild 20:17  (Team 4th - 16 pts - 3 athletes)

Team: 1. Orion 56; 2. Chelmsford 64; 3. Southend 15 (3);  4. HMAC - 16 (3)

Final League Standings: 1. HMAC - 10; 2. Orion - 13; 3rd - Basildon & Southend  - 20

Final Individual Standing 3rd - Georgie-Lou Sales 10; 5th - Gemma Phillips 30; 8th - Jennifer Holland - 43; 13th - Katie Richardson (U20) - 63; 16th - Alex Beard - 70

Senior Women: 1st - Lauren Deadman 23:03; 2nd - Debbie Appleton 23:08; 15th - Jo Sullivan 27:07;  33rd - Angela Thompson 30:38 (Team 3rd - 51 pts)

Team: 1. Chelmsford - 46; 2 - Colchester H - 50; 3. HMAC - 51

Final League Standings: 1. Colchester & T 16; 2= HMAC & Southend - 16;

Final Individual Standing 1st - Lauren Deadman 5; 4th - Debbie Appleton 16; 25th - Angela Thompson 171

Under 13 Boys:  9th - Thomas Davis 12:28; 10th - Tyler Bennett 12:40; 14th - Ryan O'Mahoney 12:54;  (Team 5th - 33 pts (3);

Team: 1. Southend 26; 2. Chelmsford 48; 3. Colchester & Tendring 72; 4. Basildon 73; 5. HMAC - 33 (3)

Final League Standings: 1. Southend 5;  2. HMAC - 16; 3. Basildon  - 19

Final Individual Standing 10th - Ryan O'Mahoney 33; 11th - Thomas Davis 37; 12th - Tyler Bennett 48; 26th - Andrew Holland 133

Under 15 Boys: - 8th - Jamie Buckley- Stanton 13:52;  20th - Charlie Turner 14:38; 29th - Dean Leftley 15:43; 36th Chris Hyde 16:59 (Team 5th - 93 points)  37th - Matthew Latimer 17:27; 38th Connor Dyer 20:54;

Team: 1. Thurrock 17; 2. Chelmsford 43;  3. Southend 49; 4. Basildon 56;.5. HMAC - 93

Final League Standings: 1. Thurrock 5; 2. Chelmsford 10;   3. Southend - 19; 4. HMAC - 21;

Final Individual Standing 3rd - Jamie Buckley- Stanton 14; 19th - Charlie Turner 43; 22nd - Dean Leftley 105; 27th Chris Hyde - 150; 29th - Connor Dyer 170 

Under 17 Boys:  1st - Grant Twist 20:49; 10th - Daniel Shanney 22:20; 14th - Thomas Shanney 22:35; 18th - John Whitehead 22:56 (Team 4th - 27 (3) pts)

Team: 1. Basildon 40; 2. HMAC - 43; 3. Southend 51

Final League Standings: 1. Basildon 8; 2. Southend 11; 3. HMAC - 12

Final Individual Standing  3rd - Grant Twist 22:21; 9th - Daniel Shanney 23:01; 11th - Thomas Shanney 23:18;

Senior Men: 7th - Rob Warner 27:01; 13th - Mat Bland - 27:50; 15th - Peter Coates 28:09; 24th - Chris Coates 28:55; 27th - Rob Dickenson 29:10; 29th - Rob Jones (U20) 29:07;  (Team 2nd - 115 pts); 35th - Paul Berrett (V40) 29:26; 44th - Graham Hogan 30:37; 50th - Tony Collins 30:51; 52nd - Russ Middleton 30:58; 85th - Roger Winston (M50)- 35:59; 108th - Martin McVeigh - 41:01

Team: 1. Chelmsford -  102; 2 HMAC - 115; 3. Colchester H 127

Final League Standings: 1. Colchester H - 13; 2. Chelmsford - 14; 3. HMAC - 18

Final Individual Standing 5th - Rob Warner 37; 13th - Peter Coates 95; 27th - Rob Dickenson 161; 30th - Rob Jones (U20) 181 31st - Chris Coaters 184; 34th - Paul Berrett (V40) 188; 39th - Tony Collins 237; 59th - Roger Winston (M50)- 398; 76th - Martin McVeigh - 537
Link to full results & league tables