Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies

Following the recent death of longstanding club member and cross country devotee, Frank Webb, his wife Pam has kindly donated a cup in her husband’s memory with the wish that it should be used to encourage our young cross country athletes.
The Young Athlete coaching committee have decided that it should be awarded in a similar fashion to the Ken and Brenda Bray trophies and accordingly, have drawn up a set of rules.  The cup will be awarded for the most consistent young athlete (male or female) from either of the U13, 15 or 17 age groups with points being awarded on the basis of athletes’ times in relation to winner’s times in the Met League and the Essex, Southern and National Championships.  Although we have only recently taken possession of the trophy, it will be awarded this year on the basis of the current winter’s performances and we intend to award it at the club AGM on 16th April.  The winner of the cup’s inaugural year will be announced once the relevant calculations have been completed.

The 2010 English National Cross Country Championships again had our members reaching for the history books as the current men’s squad threatened to match the achievements of our legendary squad of 1958-63 and Matt Gunby enjoyed our men’s highest individual placing for 35 years. Jess Sparke was disappointed to only finish 7th, and two of our top four women dropped out of their race injured, leaving the women’s squad – the Southern champions – a little deflated.

Men

 Once the lineup of an excellent men’s team had been decided, team manager Terry McCarthy did the sums, examined what was required to medal, and said the realistic aim was a top 6 finish in the main, 6-to-score, competition. This would probably require an average of 65 points per man. We had 11 men on the start line who are “top 25 in the Met League” material, including a few top 5.

Results