Ian Kennedy reports from King’s Park
Dorset’s Year 7 Girls team
The weather can often play a part in cross-country races. Last year’s South West Schools Cross-Country Championships was scheduled to take place at Bath Racecourse, but was snowed off, this year conditions couldn’t have been more different. We had plenty of sunshine and the calm before the storm (Ciara). In recent years having traipsed across many parts of south-west England for this meeting, it was great to have a ‘home’ fixture, although this did mean a heavy workload for Dorset officials. The South Wests is the final destination for the Year 7 runners in the schools competition, but for the Juniors, Intermediates and Seniors South West county teams of 10 filter down to teams of eight for the prestigious English Schools Cross Country Championships to be held in Liverpool on 14 March.
Each race consisted of teams of 10 representing each of the south-west’s counties – Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. This meant that there would be a maximum of 70 in each race. The Senior Boys got us under way. Links to full results can be found at the foot of this article. The Dorset runners are listed here, those shown in red are Wimborne AC.
Senior Boys (67 finishers) – 6th county
14 – Chet Gillespie (Woodroffe) – 23:30
20 – Manny Cox (Thomas Hardye) – 23:40
46 – Zac Cloete (BCS)) – 25:08
47 – Ben Martin (Poole Grammar) – 25:14
50 – Charlie Davies (QE) – 25:30
52 – Nat Willmore (Corfe Hills) – 25:37
53 – Sam Stewart (Leweston) – 25:40
56 – Adam Petty (BSB) – 25:52
60 – Seth Lake (Gillingham) – 26:33
64 – Will Brodie (St Edwards) – 27:12
Smart work was needed to load the pens for Race 2 – the Year 7 Girls. There was only a minute between race starts. With these girls running a much shorter course than the senior boys it meant that the first race to reach the finish line was the Year 7 Girls. What a way to start, with a Dorset winner, well done Nancy Taylor, one of three Dorset vests in the first 10.
Year 7 Girls (64 finishers) – 4th county
1 – Nancy Taylor (Talbot Heath) – 9:29
8 – May Selway (Leweston) – 10:04
9 – Emily Baggott (Talbot Heath) – 10:06
26 – Flora De Vere Hunt (Woodroffe) – 10:34
36 – Imogen Rawles (Allenbourn) – 10:42
42 – Isla McPhail (Parkstone) – 10:52
43 – Summer Robbins (Poole High) – 10:53
49 – Elizabeth Dawson (Parkstone) – 11:04
56 – Maisie-Grace Macdonald (Colfox) – 11:09
60 – Isla O’Connor (St Michaels) – 11:15
The shortest girls’ race was followed by the longest … the Senior Girls were next. Our top 10 finisher here was a stalwart of Dorset English Schools XC teams of recent years… Daisy Davies. One WAC athlete, Izzy Horsfield was representing Wiltshire, she was 21st in 16:14.
Senior Girls (58 finishers) – 4th county
6 – Daisy Davies (Leweston) – 15:26
12 – Maddy Johnson (Thomas Hardye) – 15:45
22 – Fern Kimber (Parkstone) – 16:15
24 – Holly Nixon (Gillingham) – 16:22
38 – Martha Pawson (Talbot Heath) – 17:18
39 – Niamh Carey (Gillingham) – 17:22
43 – Serena Blake (Canford) – 17:33
46 – Gabi Shaw (Bryanston) – 17:56
50 – Issy Somers (Parkstone) – 18:20
52 – Marnie Worthington (Thomas Hardye) – 18:35
Poole High’s Farley boys led the way for Dorset in this age-group. With Toby Butt the first of the Wimborne AC’s runners home. WACer Josh Fricker is at a Wiltshire school and he finished 65th in 13:48.
Year 7 Boys (66 finishers) – 5th county
14 – Thomas Farley (Poole High) – 12:25
18 – Harry Farley (Poole High) – 12:31
29 – Toby Butt (St Michaels) – 12:49
30 – Archie Elliott (Colfox) – 12:53
31 – Henry Elliott (Broadstone) – 12:55
34 – Ollie Green (Poole Grammar) – 13:01
41 – Woody Van Der Feltz (Poole Grammar) – 13:09
42 – Reuben Cawley (Leweston) – 14:10
52 – Toby Cunningham (Poole Grammar) – 13:21
The Junior Girls race brought some unwanted drama. Lexie Brown, the Junior Girls Dorset Schools Champion who’s been enjoying a splendid season, but she retired when well-placed whilst feeling faint. We’re looking forward to having a fighting fit Lexie in Liverpool. There were two strong top 10 performances in this age-group –Erin Wells and Lucy Bickerton. The first of the Wimborne AC athletes was Birdie Payne.
Junior Girls (59 finishers) – 6th county
6 – Erin Wells (Talbot Heath) – 12:43
9 – Lucie Bickerton (Leweston) – 12:56
26 – Birdie Payne (Sherborne Girls) – 13:27
39 – Madie Ogilvie (Bryanston) – 13:43
43 – India West (Hanford) – 13:48
45 – Bea Wilson (Hanford) – 13:50
50 – Martha Preece (BSG) – 13:57
52 – Georgia Burton (Sherborne Girls) – 13:59
59 – Anabel Townhill (Sherborne Girls) – 15:00
It was great to see Will Rabjohns in top form and winning by a handsome margin. Having two in the first three really set up Dorset for a good team result, 2nd.
Junior Boys (64 finishers) – 2nd county
1 – Will Rabjohns (QE) – 13:16
3 – Archie Coates (Leweston) – 13:53
15 – Jonny Styrin (Colfox) – 14:28
22 – Oscar Ewen Matthews (St Peter’s) – 14:39
23 – Alex Jones (Poole Grammar) –14:40
27 – Jack Williams (St Michael’s) – 14:43
39 – Arief McKenna (BSB) – 15:00
43 – Keiran Coombes (Colfox) – 15:03
44 – Keiran Wells (Colfox) – 15:04
48 – Herny Birchall (Woodroffe) – 15:12
The south-west region boasts some of the country’s best Intermediate Girls and so we were guaranteed a strong race. First home for Dorset here was WAC’s Emily Shaw. Former WACer Daisy Baker is now based in Wiltshire and she came 9th in 15:09.
Intermediate Girls (59 finishers) – 4th team
4 – Emily Shaw (Bryanston) – 14:37
14 – Phoebe Clarke (Woodroffe) – 15:29
16 – Emily Parker (Talbot Heath) – 15:41
24 – Issie Jones (Parkstone) – 16:02
25 – Marianna Sawyer (Sherborne Girls) – 16:03
28 – Ashia Wilson (BSG) – 16:15
45 – Izzie Rabjohns (Parkstone) – 16:48
49 – Sarah Graham (QE) – 17:02
55 – Heidi Taylor (Talbot Heath) – 17:19
58 – Emily Wood (Sherborne Girls) – 17:28
The final race of the day was the Intermediate Boys. With three in the top 10 – Ed Bird, Ryan Symington and Jasper Todd – and Oliver James in 11th this made this Dorset’s strongest team result – 76 points from the first six county finishers.
Intermediate Boys – (66 finishers) – 2nd team
4 – Ed Bird (Thomas Hardye) – 18:13
5 – Ryan Symington (Ferndown Upper) – 18:26
7 – Jasper Todd (BSB) – 18:42
11 – Oliver James (BSB) – 19:05
19 – Mark Ruby (Poole Grammar) – 19:14
30 – Oliver Squires (Clayesmore) – 19:33
31 – Josh Smith (Clayesmore) – 19:35
33 – Ollie Rawles (QE) – 19:42
38 – Tom Jackson (QE) – 19:57
51 – Tom Fuller (Blandford) – 21:42
It’s great to see our county putting on such a great show. Congratulations go to the team led by Gavin Rusling. For the Juniors, Inters and Seniors there is now a short wait until the teams of eight (and four reserves) are announced for the English Schools Cross Country Championships in at Sefton Park, Liverpool on 14 March.
Full results for the girls races can be found here https://www.dsaa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SWSch-XC-2020-Girls-results.pdf
Full results for the girls races can be found here https://www.dsaa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SWSch-XC-2020-Boys-results.pdf
