Sussex teenagers were on form at the Southern Cross-Country Championships at Beckenham on Saturday with Harriet Bloor from Lewes winning the U20 women’s title.
The youngsters also did well for Sussex in the team races.
Harriet, who is at university in Loughborough, has had an excellent cross-country season so far but she was really tested on Saturday before winning the gold medal. She was certainly the star of the afternoon as she stormed to a fighting victory in her race by three seconds in 22:15s.
In this same event, Emily Muzio (Brighton & Hove) did well to gain a Top Twenty placing in 25:11s.
There were several other medals for Sussex youngsters.
Yasmin Kashdan (Crawley) collected a fine silver medal in the U17 race just eleven seconds adrift of the winner in 17:45s while club mates Amelia Cox had one of her best ever runs to fill eight place in 18:23s and Lauren Wormley 22nd in 19:21s.
There was another silver medal in the U15 Boys for Brighton Phoenix runner Owen Wallek,who chased hard and finished just six seconds adrift of the winner in15:17s, while Brighton & Hove’s Jude Clayton recorded 16:08s in 17th position.
Bronze medals came in the U15 and U13 girls events with Grace Tuesday (U15 Lewes) clocking 15:07s and Brighton Phoenix's Katherine Haslip, who has only just turned U11, 3rd in the U13 girls in 11.45s.
Other U15G placings included Brighton & Hove’s Dulcie Yelling, who must be the best Cross-country running javelin thrower in the Country, 12th in 15:34s while Grace’s Lewes club mate Ava James placed 17th in 15:45 and Crawley’s Stephanie Shaw 22nd in 15:53s.
In the U13G Brighton & Hove’s Julieana Walsh achieved a Top Ten place in 12:08s .
Three of Julieana’s club mates were part of the Brighton & Hove AC silver medal winning U13 boys. These included Raphael Kelly and George Gilbert in sixth and 11th places respectively with in 10:15s and 11:10. George having a fine battle with Eastbourne’s Fin Lumber-Fry who clocked the same time but finished 12th and not far behind came Saul Gilbert (Brighton & Hove) in 11:27s in 2lst place.
Crawley runners led the Sussex runners home in the U20 and U17 men’s race with Nathan Buckeridge finishing 21st in the U20 event in 27:36s, two places ahead of club mate Tim Kimber who was timed at 27:41s and Luke Newton placed 12th in the U17 race in 20:48s,
In the senior races Sussex Cross-country League champion William Cork (Brighton & Hove) was the first Sussex runner home in 50:06s in 26th place and Darja Knotkova-Hanley placed 36th in the women’s race in 27:36s.
In the team races two other Sussex clubs gained runner up medals with the Crawley women placing second in the U17s and Lewes the silver medallists in the u15 girls. Brighton & Hove also led the Sussex Clubs in the U15 Boy’s race placing fifth.
Crawley led the Sussex teams in the U20 men’s race where the finished eighth and the U17 boy’s race in 11th position. Probably the best overall Sussex performances for many years.