Twelve months back the almost certain winner of the Sussex Schools Inter (U17) boys cross-country championship was sent off course and he finished up with the bronze, instead of a gold, medal
On Wednesday at the Waterhall course in Brighton Thomas Eames (BHASVIC) now in the senior age group put everything to right as he proved a convincing winner of the Senior (U19) title in his first attempt in 24:26s, his third impressive victory on ten days.
Sponsored by the Brighton Marathon nearly five hundred youngsters contested the six races and although under foot conditions were much milder than usual there was a wicked North West wind that made it hard going for the runners and very uncomfortable for the officials and course markers.
Eames victory came at the end of a highly successful afternoon’s racing having taken control of the race right from the start to cruise to a comfortable victory over fellow BHASVIC runner Tomer Tarragona who clocked 24:43s and Luke Burgess (Collyers) taking third place in 24:49s while BHASVIC took the team title with 16 points to Collyer's on 56 and Brighton College third with 89 points.
Eames other victories had been in the South of England Indoor 1500 metres at Lee Valley and the Knole 10km Run which is the premiere Independent Schools cross-country event last Saturday.
The afternoon had started in cracking style with another remarkable run from reigning champion, Bethany Cook from Moira House, who has been unbeaten in her age group over the country for more than a year.
As is her wont she steamed away from the field of 175 runners from the start to win the Junior (U15) girls race by more than one minute in 10:42s while a great battle for the silver medal saw Olivia Toms (Bishop Luffa) just manage to hold off Rebecca Losh (Shoreham) clocking 11:44s to 11:45s.
Bishop Luffa took the team title with 100 points to King’s 115 and Brighton College 140.
Two years back a trio of athletes fought out a good battle for the Junior Boys title and the same three, who have met many times over the past two year clashed again with varying results, scooped up the medals again but with a different result.
After George Pool (Eastbourne College), the winner two years back, had led though the first of the two laps and looked to have things under control but he had not allowed for the determination of Oakmeeds’s Joe Smith who came through strongly over the final mile to take the title by nearly fifty metres in 20:19s to Pool’s 20:29s with Leo Brewer (Brighton Coll) again picking up the bronze medal in 20:55s and leading his College to team victory with 49 points over Bishop Luffa, 99 points and Eastbourne College 141 points.
Seaford College’s Olivia McDonald, who is actually a Surrey athlete, repeated her junior victory from two years back controlling the field for most of the race to take the Intermediate title in 13:27s ahead of Maya Ramnarine (Robertsbridge) who clocked 18:33 and Hurstpierpoint College’s Alice Wright, 13:38s.
Robertsbridge took the team race with 81 points to Hurstpierpoint College’s 89 and Brighton College’s 107.
BHASVIC took their second individual title of the afternoon when Olivia Monk snatched the senior girls title in 17:10 by just one second ahead of Imogen Matthews (Bishop Luffa) with Collyers Darja Knotkova-Hanley another one second back in 17:12s.
Bishop Luffa took their second team title with 34 points ahead of Brighton College 48 and the Brighton College “B” with 78 points.
There was really only one major surprise and that came in the Junior Boys race where the virtually unknown Tom James, who happens to live inSurrey but schools in Sussex, from Hazelwick was a convincing winner in 15:24s ahead of Sussex County Under 13 champion and school-mate Nicholas Hollan-Ellidge who clocked 15:31 and Battle’s Carlos Nieto-Parr who recorded 15:44s.
Dorothy Stringer took the team title with 90 points to Brighton College’s 99 and Ardingly Colleges 155.
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