Brilliant running from Grace Baker, Ben Tickner, Almi Nerurkar and Stephen Ferroni gained Top Ten places and highlighted one of the most successful years for Sussex teams in the Inter-counties for many years.
Sussex managed to complete teams in all ten races at Crofton Park, Birmingham, something that is not always the case and seven of the ten Sussex teams in action were in the top twelve places amongst the forty competing counties.
In the individual events it was Baker who sparkled with a brilliant fifth place in the U20 women’s race but as the event also covered the Cross Challenge races and the Trials for the World Cross-country she was lifted to a splendid fourth place for the Inter-county result.
Baker must now wait for the selectors to decide whether she will gain a place in the UK team for China and the World championships.
There seems to be no such chance for Ben Tickner despite another brilliant run in the senior race.
The selectors have, short sightedly, decreed that only athletes potentially capable of finishing in the top thirty of the World event will be taken to China.
Tickner who has had a great season regaining his South of England title and finishing fifth in the National where several leading contenders were absent he was in cracking form at Crofton Park and he can feel well pleased with his eighth finishing position but it will probably not be enough to book a trip to China.
There were also brilliant “Top Ten” places for Almi Nerurkar who finished eighth in the U15 Girls race and Stephen Ferroni, who after a couple of disappointing outings was back to form to finish ninth in the U17 men’s race.
Team wise it was the Under 13 Boys who racked up the highest position and just missed medals by finishing in fourth spot.
Leo Brewer led the team home in 15th place, four ahead of George Pool who had lost a shoe in the mad dash away from the start and ran most of the race without a shoe.
With Ethan Fincham in 21st place there were high hopes of a medal but Luke Ellard, who had a good run, finished 65th so Sussex had to be satisfied to follow Yorkshire, Surrey and Kent home.
The senior men had the second best team placing ever by filling seventh place with Jon Pepper, in a fine 22nd place, Ryan Driscoll 58th, Max Dumbrell 100th, James Baker 105th and Josh Guilmant 106th joining Tickner to complete the scoring six.
Stephen Ferroni led the Under 17 boys into eighth team spot with Jack Leitch 54th, Daniel Stidder 81st and Casey Keates 96 completing the scoring team while Grace Baker led the Under 20 girls team into ninth team spot with Leah Harris 38th, Ellen Humphries 59th and Phoebe Connolly 70th completing the team.
A fine 13th place from Harmony Cooper led the Under 13 girls into 11th place with Olivia White 43rd, Olivia Wiseman 69th and Maia Hardman 98th completing the team.
The Senior women’s team, who do not always complete a scoring six finished an excellent 12 with Emma Macready finishing 23rd and she received good support from veteran Julie Briggs in 66th place Nicole Taylor 85th, Sarah Roff 95th, Emma Robertson 158th and Lara Barazzuoi 191st to complete their scoring six.
Under 20 men saw Ben Golding have an excellent run in 45th place to lead them into another 12th team spot with Harry Leleu 57th, Jack Woods 61st and Ryan Higgs 137th.
The Under 17 girls were led home by Nancy Jones and Sophie Markwick in 75th and 80th positions placed 20th while the Under 15 girls, led home by Almi Nerurkar in 8th place finished 26th and the Under 15 boys who were led home by Ben Collins in 78th place were 31 team.