WESSEX CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE   2008 / 2009 SEASON

30TH NOVEMBER 2008

Seventeen cross country runners from Mendip AC headed off through the snow on Sunday to contest the opening Wessex League fixture of the season. The opening race for the under 11's saw an encouraging number of youngsters turn out, with MAC's under 10's doing well against the slightly older opposition.
After a tentative start Shaun Bateman closed on the leaders and was up to fifth at the end of the event.   An enthusiastic Alex Williams had led the opening charge and was well rewarded with an 8th place. Mary-lou Poore enjoyed her first club outing, running well for 20th with Tyron Williams
coming in at 23rd. 

With twin sister Rebecca, preferring to pass up the chance of winning the under 13 event, Hayley Carver looked good as she led the girls team home in 11th, with Amy Reakes 20th and Simone Young 22nd, to leave the team fifth. A young U13B team showed their potential as James Williams had a great run in 6th,
though Shane Williams had headed him until the last few hundred metres and finished one place down. Jason Bateman enjoyed his outing and his 11th place left the team in second behind Bournemouth. Aoife Thorogood looked strong over the first half of a high quality U15G race, though she could not hold
onto her rivals on the run-in, as she finished an excellent 3rd. Rebecca Carver found the extra distance the step-up to an older age-group to her advantage as she came through to a great 7th place, two ahead of Ruby Kelly, with Adele Martin in 10th. Frustratingly MAC found themselves a single point behind the strong Poole AC squad - the rest of the season looks set for some close team battles between the two clubs.

The under 15 boys race got off to a quick start - so quick in fact that Kieran Young was still in the team tent pulling on his vest as the runners were sent on their way! Despite a spirited effort to reel the leaders back
in Kieran had to settle for 8th, having not quite caught team-mate Ashley Martin. Christian Young, who continues to show encouraging improvement, ran a lonely race to ensure that the club finished as a team, finishing second behind Taunton. Dan Wright was the club's only under 17, finishing an isolated fifth in the smallest field of the day. The final race of the afternoon saw Nathan Young, still an under 17, take on the senior men. After showing his hand from the off with a 100m sprint to the first rise on the course, Nathan was to remain in the front throughout the five and a half mile event for a convincing victory. Club coach Ian Humphreys enjoyed several tussles towards the back of the field, finishing in 33rd place.

Provisional results at   http://www.wessexleague.com/results_page/2008_9/Race1%20-%20Provisional%20Result.xls

WESSEX CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE  2007 / 2008 SEASON

 -  BOURNEMOUTH  -  13TH JANUARY 2008

Last Sunday the fourth meeting of the Wessex Cross Country League took place
at Kings Park in Bournemouth, with twenty Mendip athletes making the
journey. The opening race, the under 11 fun run, saw under 9 boy Joseph
Engledow run well for 4th place, with Tyron Williams and Phoebe Kelly also
completing. The under 13 girls race saw seven Mendip runners toe the start
line. With Bournemouth coming the day after the Avon Schools championships,
a tired looking Ruby Kelly did well to keep near the front in the early
stages but faded towards the end to finish 6th, just outsprinting Adele
Martin. Rebecca Carver once again had an excellent run behind the dominant
pair from Poole AC, just losing out on third place in the race. Erin Martin
was the first runner in for the B team in 10th place, with Hayley Carver
13th, Amy Reakes 15th and Simone Young 17th. With Poole AC first and second
they always looked to have the team sewn up, but the Mendip girls ran well
to hold them to 14 points to Mendip's 17, with New Forest Juniors a further
three points behind.

There was a disappointing turn-out in the under 13 boys race, as three of
the expected Mendip runners failed to show. This left Kieran Young to lead
the way for the club in 4th place after a solid run, with Shane Williams 9th
and Christian Young 10th. Once again only Taunton and Mendip finished three
runners, with Taunton scoring 12 points. Aoife Thorogood arrived at
Bournemouth with heavy legs after her second placed run at the Avon Schools
the previous day, but soon had run the stiffness out. On the opening lap of
two Taunton's Isla Ness had opened a useful lead before Aoife started to
close. Encouraged by the narrowing gap, Aiofe attacked on one of the
course's two short climbs to take the lead and ran away for a convincing
victory. Dan Wright and Ashley Martin were once again seperated by a single
place as Dan finished the under 15 boys race in 6th, while under 17 woman
Rose Penfold showed that she is finally returning to something like her form
of old as she led the chasing pack around, eventually finishing in 5th
place. Tim Attwell also held fifth place in the under 17 men's race.

The senior men's race saw four Mendip runners out, led around by sixteen
year-old Nathan Young. After running second in the early stages Nathan
slipped back to complete in 5th place. Matt Parsons, in his first race back
following injury, showed his lack of fitness as he was caught just before
half-way by club distance coach Ian Humphreys, and then by Rob Martin. Ian
finished the race in 19th, with Matt raising a sprint to hold off Rob in
22nd. The team finished in 4th place, behind Newbury, Poole and Bridport.