A fantastic season of Sussex league cross country came to a close at Stanmer Park.
Nearly 500 runners turned out to compete in the final fixture across the Brighton course, where both individual and team league positions were decided.
Lewes AC ladies were definitely smiling by the end of the day taking all of the top team awards in the senior and vet age categories.
Whilst Brighton and Hove AC youngsters also had a lot to celebrate winning all but one team gold from Under 13s to Under 17s.
The Sussex Cross Country League is contested across 4 fixtures, starting at Goodwood in early October. Individual medals are decided by the best 3 scores across the 4 races, whilst the teams are a collective count up of points in each fixture. There are no team medals for the under 11s.
Each fixture kicked off with the Under 11s race, where across the season two athletes stood out. Both Rex Hastings (Lewes AC boy) and Skye Widdows (Brighton & HOve AC girl) won all 3 of the races they competed in to take the season golds, whilst there were joint silver medal winners in the boys with Jem Marshall (Brighton & Hove) and Xander Wagjiami (Crawley). Amelia Skelton (HY) was 2nd overall in the girls and Emmy Pemberton (Chichester) 3rd.
Interestingly there were joint winners in both the Under 13 girls and boys categories.
HY’s Isabella Buchanan, who’s season has gone from strength to strength, and Brighton & Hove AC’s Katherine Haslip both scored 4 points for the win in the girls’ race, whilst Fin Lumber Fry (Eastbourne) and George Gilbert (Brighton & Hove) also scored 4 in the boys’.
Third place Under 13 girl was Bibi Webb (Crawley), who came a consistent 3rd in all 4 fixtures.
Brighton and Hove AC won the team gold in both genders with 81 points in the girls and 54 in the boys, just 1 point ahead of Eastbourne Rovers in 2nd.
Second girls team was HY (91 points) and 3rd Crawley (129). Lewes boys scored 162 for 3rd place.
There was just 1 point between Under 15 girls’ Molly Smithers (Chichester) and Rihanon Daniels (Crawley) going into the final fixture. This remained the case with Molly taking the gold and Rihanon silver with Lewes AC’s Esme Stephenson 3rd place.
Crawley were team winners on 69, with Lewes next on 89 followed by Chichester on 129.
In the under 15 boys, competing and winning all 4 fixtures, was Finlay Goodman (Brighton & Hove). Team Bodyworks’ Lucas Gorrill scored 7 for silver closely followed by Thomas Matthews (Brighton & Hove) on 8.
Brighton & Hove AC showed real depth in this age group taking team gold (36) and silver (147), with Bodyworks 3rd (171).
Alexander Riley (Brighton & Hove) crossed the line first at Stanmer and took overall gold (4). Crawley’s Luke Newton was 2nd (10) and Brighton Phoenix’s Owen Wallek (11) 3rd.
It followed the same pattern with the team results with Brighton & Hove 1st, Crawley 2nd and Brighton Phoenix 3rd.
The Under 17 women compete within the senior women’s race, scoring in both their own age category and as part of senior teams.
There has been a lot of strong performances with Stephanie Shaw (Crawley) winning overall on 4 points, followed by Hastings’ Rae Le Fay (7) and Brighton & Hove’s Rosie Gasson in 3rd (10).
Brighton & Hove AC were team winners on 88, Crawley 2nd (106) and Lewes in 3rd (157).
Only two senior women competed in enough of the races to be eligible for medals – Amy Harris (Brighton Phoenix) taking gold winning the 3 she contested and Darja Knotkova Hanley (Lewes) scoring 8 points for silver.
Crawley AC talent, Amelia Cox, took top spot in the Under 20s with joint placed silver medallists – Emily Muzio (Brighton & Hove AC) and Grace Ingles (Brighton Phoenix).
A brilliant season saw Rachel Hillman win the V35 age group, Sharon Gordon (Crawley) 2nd and Jenna French (Lewes) 3rd.
In the V45 Julie Briggs (Arena 80) clocked 4 points to Brighton Phoenix’s Suzy Rushforth on 5 and Dani Tarleton (Arena 80) on 7.
Lewes ladies Mary Cambell Clemente and Helen Sida were joint W55 winners with Eastbourne’s Liz Lumber in 3rd.
Chichester enjoyed two top three placings in the W65s with winner Helen Dean and 3rd Wendy Whelan. Chris Naylor (Arena 80) was 2nd.
As previously mentioned Lewes won all three (Division 1, 2 and Vets) women’s categoies with Brighton Phoenix 2nd in Division 1 and Brighton & Hove 3rd.
Worthing were second placed Division 2 and Lewes C 3rd.
Arena 80 runners up in the vet women and Eastbourne 3rd.
Winner in the senior men was Joshua Hobbs, who competed in all 4 races across the season followed in 2nd by Kieran Barnes and Sam Wilkinson in 3rd.
Brighton & Hove team-mates Matthew Grindrod and Henry Yelling were 1st and 2nd Under 20 with HY’s David Ervine 3rd.
Brighton and Hove AC were 286 points clear of 2nd place Lewes in the senior men’s team category. Brighton Phoenix were 3rd.
Lewes AC were Division 2 winners, Brighton & Hove B 2nd and Worthing 3rd.
Craig Halsey (Brighton & Hove) hit the best possible point score of 3 to be named M40 winner with Lewes’ Toby Meanwell 2nd and Zared Arasaretnam-Hale 3rd.
In the M50s Chris Gilbert (Lewes) scored 5 for gold, Donald Macllellan (Brighton Phoenix) silver and Paul Luttman (Crawley Saints and Sinners) 3rd.
Horsham Jogger Dean Angell was joint 1st M60 with David Crocker (Mid Sussex Tri) and Tim Hicks (Haywards Heath Harriers) 3rd.
Another athlete with a perfect score was Crawley’s Tony Lintern (3 points) in the M70s. Teammate Dave Beattie was 2nd and Brighton Phoenix’ Eogan McKenna 3rd.
The Vet Men league team title went to Brighton & Hove with Lewes 2nd and Brighton Phoenix 3rd.
Well done to all athletes who took part in this year’s races. Sussex AA would also like to say a huge thank you all the volunteers and officials who made the races possible. It has been great to be part of another successful cross country season.