Sussex look like fielding their strongest senior women’s team for many years at the UK/CAU Cross country championships at Prestwold Hall, Loughborugh on Saturday.
Despite missing the services of Emma Macready, who has been largely missing from the Sussex scene this season, team manager Tom Ulliott has assembled a strong contingent including the first four runners in the county championship, Nicole Taylor, Emma Dixon, Izzy Coomber and Helena Tobin and they can also boast a National champion. Beth Kidger from Crawley, who won the second of this season’s League races, was the winner of the Welsh Championships two weeks ago will be lining up with the squad. Hopes are high that they could produce a Top Ten Team placing.
It is not the same for men’s team manager, Dave Leach, who confesses this is his toughest ever year assembling representative teams.
Only four of the top nine runners in county championships are able to race for Sussex this weekend but that does include Tom Evans from Lewes and Kevin Moore from Brighton & Hove who had a neck and neck battle for the silver medal at the championships, and Masters champion Howard Bristow (Brighton & Hove) and club mate James Turner who is the only runner to tackle both last weekend’s Inter-county 20-mile and the main Inter-counties.
Leach’s problems however do not end there as not one of the five men’s team this year has a full complement of runners.
In the younger athletes events some of this shortage can certainly be laid at the door of the English Schools championships next weekend as several of the leading runners have decided to concentrate on that event.
The women’s teams are spread between three team managers and on paper they appear to have fared much better with full teams in all but the U20 age group.
It is to the youngsters we will look for the highest Sussex placing as Bethany Cook (Bodyworks) who has been unbeaten this season, including winning the South or England title, is the most likely Sussex athlete to achieve a Top Ten placing.
Inter-county teams for UK CAU at Loughborough as of 08:03:17
Senior Men
Tom Evans Lew
Kevin Moore BH
Howard Bristow BH
James Turner BH
Paul Navesey Cr
Jack Kosky Cr
Josh Burgess Lew
U20
Daniel Stidder BP
Brodie Denholm BH
Jack Leitch Wdh
Lenny Wea TSY
Reuben Hoyte BP
U17
Jess Magorrian Has
Will Broom Chi
Leo Stallard Chi
Matthew McCarthy Cro
U15
Leo Brewer BP
Will Carey Lew
Alex Mani Chi
Callum Stone Cr
George Pool Ha
Ethan Fincham TSY
Joseph Martin Hhh
Max Brazier B&H
U13
Lukas Nerurkar BP
Carlos Nieto-Parr Has
Hanslow Dylan Cr
Ethan Ward Wdh
Matthew Smith Hbs
Fenton Davoren Lew
Senior Women
Nicole Taylor Tonbridge
Emma Dixon Highgate
Izzy Coomber Lew
Helena Tobin BH
Gina Wilson Lew
Beth Kidger BP
Rachael Gifford Wdh
Dani Tarleton A80
Caroline Hoyte A80
U20
Tara Bage BP
Rose Ellis Chi
Katy Peters Cr
Charlotte Reading Chi
Josephine Edmund Bdw
Nicole Edmunds Bdw
Nancy Jones BH
U17
Almi Nerurkar BP
Olivia Lyon-Monk BH
Poppy Mercer Bdw
Naomi Fonteyn BP
Poppy Hughes Bdw
Poppy Ellis Hai
Alice Cox-Rusbridge Chi
Imogen Matthews Chi
U15
Harriet Bloor Hai
Harmony Cooper Has
Lois Dooley BH
Niamh Halloren BH
Maya Ramnarin Ha
Alex Richer Hbs
Olivia Wiseman Chi
Alice Wright BP
U13
Erika Body Has
Katie Coles Cr
Bethany Cook Bdw
Lacey Fowler BH
Izzy Hayes Hbs
Shannon Hopkins-Parry Has
Rebecca Losh BH
Ciara Muzio BP
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