Bethany Cook from Eastbourne became, what is believed to be a history maker at the CAU Inter-county Cross-country championships at Loughborough on Saturday when she steamed away from the Under 13 Girls field to take the title by a remarkable nine seconds.
Although Sussex athletes have won individual titles at these championships before, Eric Weir (Hassocks) the senior in 1937, Steve Ovett (Brighton & Hove) again the senior in 1978, Richard Carter (Brighton & Hove) the junior in the 1980s and Joe Foreshew (Chichester) in 1994 the U17 it is not believed that many Young Athletes from Sussex has won an individual crown.
Over a testing and muddy course the tall, slim, fair-haired youngster blazed away from her rivals from the start, as is her wont, and completed her run in a canter nearly fifty metres clear of her nearest rival.
Cook led her U13 team to a splendid eighth place and a Top Ten team placing for Sussex is quite an achievement at these major championships.
Rebecca Losh, who has chased her home in all the Sussex races this season finished 36th, Erika Body 92nd and Amber Blake completed the scoring four in 99th place..
Even then the U13 Boys pipped them as far as team positions were concerned finishing in seventh spot with Ethan Ward 35th, Carlos Neito-Parr 44th, Dylan Hanslow 45th and Fenton Davoren in 60th place.
Despite the overall gloom about the strength of the teams before the day it was by and large a pretty good year for Sussex teams, particularly the seniors who, with six runners to score, finished ninth and 11th.
It was the senior women, despite the last minute loss of two of the top runners, who finished ninth with another cracking run from Nicole Taylor who finished an excellent 12th and was not that far from gaining a place in the British team for the World Championships.
Newly crowned Welsh Champion Beth Kidger had an excellent run to finish 48th while Veteran Caroline Hoyte ran out of her boots in conditions that she enjoys to finish 55th and Helena Tobin placed 77th. Dani Tarleton and Rachael Gifford closed the team in in 156th and 157th placed respectively.
Tom Evans had a fine run to lead the men home in 54th place with Kevin Moore 70th and County Masters Champion Howard Bristow 73rd. Paul Navesey placed 117th, James Turner, who had raced 20-miles last weekend, 133rd and Jack Kosky 147th completed the scoring sextet in a field of nie on three hundred runners and 33 teams.
Both the U15 teams filled tenth place with Leo Brewer, a fine run in 39th, Ethan Fincham 50th, Joseph Martin 68th and Calum Stone 91st scoring for the Boys and Olivia Wiseman and Maya Ramarine having a fine battle placing 25th and 26th respectively, Lois Dooley 89th and Alice Wright 101st.
Almi Nerurkar was 22nd and she led the U17W into 15th team spot and Tara Bage in 50th place led the U20W in 22nd place.
Will Broom in 41st place led the U17M team into 24th position while Jack Leitch headed the U20M in a splendid 16th place but they were unable to complete a team.
There were some fine performances by Sussex League runners with Ethan Scott from East Grinstead running for Surrey finishing a remarkable fourth in the U13 B. Jamie Knapp (Brighton & Hove), running for Hampshire finishing 31st in the senior race, six places ahead of Haywards Heath’s Chris Smith, the Sussex League champion, running for Middlesex.
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