ATHLETICS: PAC in good form at the county championships

Peterborough Athletic Club's good form continued at the Cambridgeshire Cross-Country Championships held at St Neots with four team and two individual medals,
The PAC Under 11 girls team. From the left are Fearne Starr, Jaia Bull, Harriet Smith and Eliza Mardon.The PAC Under 11 girls team. From the left are Fearne Starr, Jaia Bull, Harriet Smith and Eliza Mardon.
The PAC Under 11 girls team. From the left are Fearne Starr, Jaia Bull, Harriet Smith and Eliza Mardon.

Led by Amittai Ben-Israel’s second place in the under 20 championships the senior men picked up a team bronze.

The six-man team were led home by James Whitehead in a brilliant 8th place (37:04) and he was followed by Ben-Israel 20th (38:24), Danny Snipe 21st (39:01), debutant Simon Mead 22nd (39:05), Stuart Haw 24th (39:19) and Jon Peet 37th (40:56) for team bronze.

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Whitehead and Ben-Israel also earned themselves a team place in the Cambs squad to compete in the Inter-Counties Championships at Loughborough later in the season.

James Whitehead.James Whitehead.
James Whitehead.

The other individual medal came in the first race of the day for under 11 girls. Ten-year-old Eliza Mardon ran a well-judged race to finish third (7:09) and hold off local rival Norah Brill of Nene Valley Harriers. Mardon was supported by Harriet Smith in 13th (7:48) and Jaia Bull 18th (8:00) which was enough to secure the team a silver medal. Also running in this race was eight-year-old Fearne Starr who finished in 23rd place in 8:17.

Not to be out done by the girls, the under-11 boys also won team silver, led home by Benji Fairclough in 4th (6:53), Jack Bull in 6th (7:03) and Oliver Barden in 9th (7:06). Also competing in this age group was Callum Shaw in 17th (7:22).

Another team medal came the way of the under 17 men, this time it was a bronze medal. Training partners Luis Turner and Nathan Copland battled it out and ran stride for stride throughout the 5.8k circuit to finish in 14th and 15th places respectively. Joining them on the medal rostrum was Ben Papworth, who was competing in his first ever cross-country race, in 20th. Also competing in this age group was Dominic Fitzharris, who finished in 21st place in 23:49.

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Team manager Elaine Larkins said: “It was a great day and it was really pleasing to get so many runners out. We had more than 40 athletes entered which is the most we’ve had for a number of years. I’m really proud of the athletes and I think it points to a successful 2017. It’s really exciting to see the youngsters improve so much and with a medal in the under 11 age groups. It suggests the future will be bright.”

Amittai Ben-Israel.Amittai Ben-Israel.
Amittai Ben-Israel.

PAC Results:

Sen Men: 8th James Whitehead 37:04; 20th Ben-Israel (38:24); 21st Danny Snipe (39:01); 22nd (39:05); 24th Stuart Haw (39:19); 37th Jon Peet (40:56); 39th James Sadlier (41:28); 43rd Nathan Popple (41:37); 44th Oliver Mason (41:37)

U17 men: 14th Luis Turner 21:23; 15th Nathan Copland (21:23); 20th Ben Papworth (23:20); 21st Dominic Fitzharris (23:49)

U15 boys: 19th Patrick Szpryngiel (18:28)

Inigo Gillick.Inigo Gillick.
Inigo Gillick.

U13 boys: 4th Inigo Gillick (10:01); 33rd Connor Cassar (11:38); 41st William West-Robinson (12:28); 46th Oliver Beasley (12:40); 52nd Finley Copland (13:36)

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U11 boys: 4th Benjie Fairclough (6:53); 6th Jack Bull (7:03); 9th Oliver Barden (7:06); 17th Callum Shaw (7:22)

U15 girls: 13th Laura Collins (21:04); 25th Tilda Guest (30:50)

U13 girls: 11th Elizabeth Taylor (11:50); 19th Amelie Fairclough (12:23); 50th Bethan Attridge (15:02)

Benji Fairclough.Benji Fairclough.
Benji Fairclough.

U11 girls: 3rd Eliza Mardon (7:09); 13th Harriet Smith (7:48); 18th Jaia Bull (8:00); 23rd Fearne Starr (8:17)

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Peterborough AC’s Ben Heron and Wendy Perkins flew the club flag in the Lincolnshire Cross-Country Championships held at a wet and muddy Louth.

Heron finished a highly creditable 6th in the senior men’s race while Perkins was 5th veteran lady home.

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