Top performances mixed with a lot of mud and 90s tunes – what more could anyone want from the Sussex Cross Country Champs.
Around 500 competitors turned out for this year’s fixture, at the usual tough Bexhill course.
With ice cold conditions, but no rain, it was the perfect setting for a great day of running.
Starting with the Under 11s, where there is no team contest, the races began just after 11am.
Both girls and boys were won by athletes who have so far this season been top in all three league fixtures - Skye Widdows (Brighton & Hove) in the girls and Xander Wagjiani (Crawley) the boys.
HY’s Isabella Buchanan kept the winning pattern going storming into 1st in the Under 13 girls’ race with Amelie Whitehouse (Crawley) 2nd and Florence Tewkesbury (HY) 3rd. With their 3rd runner, Antalia Cole, placing 8th, it was no surprise that HY took the team gold, Crawley silver and Brighton & Hove bronze.
Oliver Goodman (Brighton & Hove) enjoyed his best race of the cross country season so far crossing the line comfortably ahead of Luca Di Giovanni (Portsmouth) followed by Taylor Thom Watt (Brighton & Hove). The top teams here were Brighton & Hove on 15 points (3rd scorer being Samuel Gill in 11th), Eastbourne 21 and Chichester 35.
Eastbourne Rovers have dominated the Under 15 girls contests all season, and Saturday was no different, scoring as a team a phenomenally low 8 points. Freda Pearce in 1st, Daisy Connor 3rd and Raya Petrova 4th. The silver placing went to Brighton & Hove’s Julieana Walsh. Team silver was Crawley (26 points) and Lewes 3rd (35 points).
Eastbourne carried on with the celebrations in the team Under 15 boys’ contest winning by a very small margin on 16 points, to Brighton & Hove 2nd on 17, then Lewes on 20. The Lewes team had been led home by overall winner, Jacob Trotman, whilst George Gilbert (Brighton & Hove) was 2nd and Fin Lumber Fry (Eastbourne) in 3rd.
Next up were the Under 17 races starting with the women, where there was no stopping the gold winning team from Lewes placing 1st (Ava James), 2nd (Esme Stephenson) and 6th (India Somerville). Not to forget Brighton & Hove’s Rosie Gasson who won the bronze. In this race 2 teams scored 30 points, but the team silver went to Worthing thanks to Laila Hellyer finishing higher than Crawley’s 3rd runner.
Owen Wallek (Brighton Phoenix) and Finlay Goodman (Brighton & Hove) pushed each other for the whole Under 17 men’s race, but Wallek’s strength shone through at the end to take the gold. Team Bodyworks’ Lucas Gorrill was 3rd. Brighton & Hove A were team winners (12 points with Thomas Matthews in 4th and Rory Monti in 6th), Brighton Phoenix 2nd (30 points) and Brighton & Hove B 3rd (33 points).
The Under 20 men start at the same time as the senior race but only compete over 8K so split off during proceedings. Henry Yelling (Brighton & Hove) crossed the line comfortably in 1st with team mate Alexander Riley in 2nd and Brighton Phoenix’s Ravi Clarke 3rd. Brighton & Hove scored 13 points, Phoenix 18 and Lewes 32.
The senior men continued for an extra 2k and it was Jacob Cann (Horsham Blue Star), home for the holidays as is studying in the US, who won this race. Brighton Phoenix’s Robbie Fitzgibbon was 2nd and Team Bodyworks’ Oliver Pritchard 3rd. Six runners score for the team in this age category and with a collective 61 Brighton & Hove were winners. For the second time during the day the points were tied on 99 for 2nd and 3rd, but again due to the highest placing final runner, Brighton Phoenix were 2nd and Horsham 3rd. 
The last race of the day was the combined Under 20 and Senior Women’s 8K. There is no separate team event for the Under 20 women (they are able to score for senior women’s teams), but they do compete for individual under 20 kudos.
Clear overall winner and senior woman was Brighton Phoenix’s Beth Kidger with Sophie Coleman (Brighton & Hove) 2nd and Imogen Matthews (Chichester) 3rd.
In 4th overall but 1st under 20 was Brighton & Hove’s Jess Corbett with Cerys West (Worthing) silver and Tilly Wilburn (Brighton & Hove) bronze.
With 28 points, Brighton & Hove were the team winners, and Brighton Phoenix 2nd (49 points) and Worthing 3rd (54).
Thanks to a lot of work by host club, HY Runners, and all the Sussex AA officials and volunteers, the day was a fantastic success.