Schools Cross Country League 29th September 2011
Last week saw the first of the Schools Cross Country League matches organised by WGEL. The event, which is now in its 18th year, was well attended with around twenty schools sending teams over the six age groups for which the races are run. The event is held over four weeks, with points counting for both team and individual events. Prizes are awarded for winners in both team and individual categories. The first league match was held, on a hot sunny day, over the flat grassland course at Ashton Playing Fields. This was to give youngsters an easy start to the league matches, but the unseasonal weather made this a most unlikely day for a cross country race. The following three weeks will be held over the club cross country course at Claybury Park which will be a little more demanding.
This event has seen a number of young athletes come through into the junior and senior ranks over the years with several of them now competing for various clubs in our area. The number of club athletes within the Woodford Green AC ranks who have competed in this event are too numerous to mention, including some who now excel at sprinting and jumping. Obviously, the competition over a tough cross country course did not put them off athletics as a sport.
The Primary Girls (school years 5/6) race was the first race of the day and was won by Emily Pohl from Coopersale Hall School. Her team mate Flora Brown was second, with Annali Olivelle of Forest School third. The team event in the first match was won by Forest School, with Coopersale Hall a close second. It will be an interesting dual over the next three weeks between the two schools. St. John’s, Buckhurst Hill is in third place. 62 runners finished this race.
In the Primary Boys race Ethan Miller from Staples Road won in 5m 58sec, 5 seconds slower than his time last year (it was a hot day). George Johnson from Theydon Bois School was second, followed by his team mate Joe Rowson in third. Last year was the first time that Theydon Bois had entered the league and they won the first team race. They were also the team winners again in the first race this year on equal first with Woodford Green Prep. 81 runners finished the Primary boys race.
The Senior Girls race (school year 9-10) was won by Isabel Levine of Caterham School with Anne Clarke of West Hatch second. Serena Espeute from Davenant School was third. Forest School are currently leading the team event with four girls in the first twenty, followed closely by Roding Valley. The year 7-8 race, run jointly with years 9/10, was won by Isabel Hoy from Wanstead High with Katie Inch of Forest School in second place. Nancy Callagher of Roding Valley was in third place. Forest school currently lead the team event with four girls finishing in the first ten.
The Senior Boys race (years 9-10) was won by Jim Fodder of Wanstead High with Jack Maher of Palmer Catholic Academy in second place. Greg Gilbert of Roding Valley was third. The team event was won by Roding Valley, who got their four scorers into the first ten finishers with Palmer Catholic Academy in second place. Roding Valley also finished a “B” team currently in third place. The year 7/8 race was won by Joe Clark of West Hatch School with George Day of Highams Park School in second place. James Wakefield of Forest School was in third place. Roding Valley are leading the team event in this age group with Forest in second place.
The next three league matches are at Claybury Park, starting at 4:30PM on Thursday afternoon. The event is well supported by schools with many parents attending. Club officers and helpers are staging the event, so if you want to watch the races (with no pacemakers) run over a tough undulating cross country course, come along to see some of our potential Olympians of the future.