Several Herts Phoenix athletes from local schools travelled in the team coach to Ilton, Somerset to represent Hertfordshire in the English Schools Cross Country Championships last month. In perfect weather conditions the athletes, representing all the English counties, tackled the undulating and challenging courses set out in the grounds of the former WW2 airbase and now the home of RNAS Merryfield watched by several thousand parents, friends and fellow athletes who had made the long journey to support and encourage them in what for many of the athletes taking part was one of the most important cross country events of their lives. Read more...

There were outstanding results from Richard Hale students Jamie Dee, who won the Junior Boys’ race and older brother Liam, who came 5th in the Intermediate Boys’ race both of whom will now travel to Perth in Scotland to represent the English Schools in the annual match against their counterparts from Wales and Scotland on 31st March. Edward Shepherd, Bishops Stortford High again showed his class finishing 5th in the Senior Boys’ race and Lizzy Bird, St Albans Boys enjoyed her best race of the season to finish in 11th place in the Senior Girls’ race.

Individual results:

Junior Girls – 3120 metres
Ellie Baker (Townsend) 41st 12.18 – 337 finishers

Intermediate Girls – 3750 metres
Mary Gough (Presdales) 82nd 15.47, Emily Ruane (St Marys Catholic) 115th 16.06, Florence Stansall-Seiler (Presdales) 185th 16.38 – 330 finishers

Senior Girls – 4250 metres
Lizzy Bird (St Albans Boys) 11th 16.06 – 307 finishers

Junior Boys – 3750 metres
Jamie Dee (Richard Hale) 1st 12.54, Jamie Philpott (Edwinstree) 156th  14.47 – 329 finishers

Intermediate Boys – 5910 metres
Liam Dee (Richard Dee) 5th 20.12, Cameron Laleye (Dame Alice Owens) 92nd 21.43, George Pettipher (Chauncy) 279th 23.47 – 315 finishers

Senior Boys – 7050 metres
Edward Shepherd (Bishops Stortford High) 5th 23.32, Alex Cloona (Richard Hale) 155th 26.27 – 311 finishers

Adrian Newman, Cross Country Co-ordinator