CROSS COUNTRY: Golden trio lead charge for county
6:00pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport
WILTSHIRE’S athletes topped the gold medal chart in the South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships with superb victories for Alex Carter, Rob Howorth and Loren Bleaken, writes Kevin Fahey.
Their triple success, which was one more than Somerset, was a tribute to coach Adrian Clover who advises all three in his training group at Team Bath AC.
St Laurence School student Carter, who recently celebrated his 16th birthday, was in unstoppable form in the inter boys’ race as he took charge early on and added this title to his junior boys’ success two years ago.
“The course was tough but I didn’t have to push it too hard really and felt pretty comfortable,” said Carter, the reigning county champion.
Likewise Hardenhuish School student Bleaken was a class apart in the inter girls’ race as the 16-year-old avenged her defeat at the hands of Cornwall’s Issy Steele last year.
“I was really happy with that,” said Bleaken. “Issy beat me last year so I was really looking to win it this time and I went off hard from the start and just kept on going.”
She finished 14 seconds clear of Steele for her fourth South West Schools’ title having lifted the junior girls’ crown in 2010 and 2009 and the minor girls’ prize in 2008, a truly amazing record.
That’s the stage Howorth is currently at and the 11-year-old St Augustine’s College pupil marked his debut in the event with a thrilling victory as he out-sprinted Devon’s Billy Craske in the closing stages.
“I was not expecting to win and went there hoping for a top three finish,” said Howorth. “With 200 metres to go I thought I could win it as there was just me and the other lad so I just sprinted.”
In addition to the three golds Wiltshire athletes also picked up a silver and three bronze medals to put the county top of the medal chart overall with seven, two clear of Devon and three in front of Somerset with Avon, Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucestershire all trailing well behind.
The sole silver was won by Sheldon School’s Alex Stainthorpe, who had made terrific progress this winter. It was easily the 18-year-old’s best result in the event and she can now look forward to leading the Wiltshire team at the English Schools’ Championships next month.
There was another Howorth in the medals as Robert’s twin brother John was third in the minor boys, while Sheldon School’s Gemma Shephard was third in the junior girls’ race and Ridgeway School’s Callum Bampton third in the junior boys’ age group.
The county also won a team gold in the inter girls’ age group with Bleaken well supported by Commonweal’s Lilly Bellamy, John Bentley’s Madeleine Perrins, Corsham School’s Kirsty Stanley, Ridgeway’s Carla Huynh and finally Godolphin’s Phoebe Rochford.
HOWORTH'S brother Rory, nine, clinched the league titles for U11 boys at the Gloucester Cross Country League meeting at Tewkesbury, winning all four races.
Jonah Veakins, from Melksham, who attends St Patricks School in Corsham and is also a member of Team Bath Athletics club, came second overall in the same age group in his first season of cross country.
