South
of England Cross Country
Championships, Parliament Hill, 26 Jan 2002
Ashley
Reece defied the elements to claim the individual gold medal in the South
of England cross country championships at Parliament Hill.
He was well supported by Ross Clark (7th), Mathew Watkins (21st) and
Paul Adair (29th) who combined to take the under 13 boys' team gold.
There was team silver for the under 15 girls, lead home by Megan Foley in
11th while Katie Richardson was pipped for a medal in the under 13 girls'
race, placing fourth. Debbie Sullivan showed her best form of the winter
to place fourth in the senior women's event.
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Ashley
Reece defended his unbeaten record in the Under 13 age group with another
impressive performance in the South of England Cross Country Championships held
in monsoon-like conditions at Parliament Hill today. Starting cautiously on the
mud-covered hilly course, Ashley tracked main rival Paul Bumstead of Thurrock
until he let loose in the final kilometre to extend his winning advantage to 10
seconds. Twice before this season Ashley's efforts have proved to little avail
as HMAC have failed to field a complete team, but there was no mistake this
time, as the improving Ross Clarke finished seventh, making up four places in
the latter stages, while Matthew Watkins held on for 21st, with Paul Adair
completing the winning foursome whose 58 point tally easily won the under 13
title.
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Ashley Reece |
With
five in the first six home in the Under 15 girls race Aldershot's dominance was
never in doubt but the Havering Mayesbrook quartet claimed silver ahead of
Southampton. Megan Foley - hardly suited to the heavy going, did well to place
11th, with Robyn Matson battling home next in 28th. With Vicky Smith placing
57th and out-of-sorts Charlotte Watkins back in 63rd the team came home with
runners-up spot.
Katie
Richardson was just pushed out of the medals in the Under 13 girls event when
she placed fourth, with Lauren Clark next home in 24th, as Rachel Heath (60th)
and Hayley Thomas (65th) completed the foursome in fifth place in the team
stakes.
Debbie
Sullivan had her best race of the season when she placed fourth in the senior
women's event, matching her position of last year, finishing much closer to
runner-up Jo Wilkinson than she had in the Essex Championships three weeks
earlier. Sister Jo Sullivan finished 50th.
Link
to full 
HMAC
Results
Under 13
Girls
4th - Katie Richardson
14m 39secs; 24th - Lauren Clark 15:52; 60th - Rebecca Heath 17:00; 65th - Hayley Thomas
17:04; (Team: 5th)
Also:
69th - Clare Robinson 17:09; 84th - Lauren
McVicar 17:41; 102nd - Hannah Charman 18:46; 114th
- Rachel Newman 18:55;
Under 15
Girls
11th - Megan Foley
20:00; 28th - Robyn
Matson 21:03; 57th – Vicky Smith 22:09; 63rd - Charlotte Watkins 22:13 (Team: 2nd).
Also competed:
121st - Robyn Delivett 24:34; 136th - Carmel Munson 25:59; 146th - Hayley Charman
26:53
Under 17
Women
61st - Fay Powell 28:12
Senior
Women
4th
- Debbie Sullivan 36:26; 50th - Jo Sullivan 41:33; 176th – Ruth O'Sullivan
50:05; 212th - Eleanor Mole 53:45 (Team: 14th)
Under 13
Boys
1st
– Ashley Reece 12:59; 7th
- Ross Clarke 13:27; 21st - Matthew
Watkins 14:04; 29th - Paul Adair 14:19; (Team:
1st)
92nd
- Joe Webster 15:23
Under 15
Boys
71st - Ashley Roberts
21:37; 84th - Paul Andrews 22:00; 93rd - Joe Golding 22:10; 95th - Chris
Driscoll (Team 12th)
Also:
163rd - Martyn Chambers 24:04; 172nd - Christian
Newton 24:37; 192nd - Michael Parperis 25:48
Under 17
Boys:
48th -
Martin Heys 27:04; 61st - Andrew Hunter 27:33; 115th - Tom Bond 30:09.
(Team Incomplete - Rob Howe DNF)
Junior
Men
61st
– Neil Collins
Senior
Men
156th – Rob
Warner; 672nd – Tony
Collins;