Yorkshire Cross Country Championships - Nunroyd Park 4th January 2003

Richmond and Zetland Harriers Winter Season reached another high in the Yorkshire X-C Championships at Nunroyd Park when Jessie Roberts won the under 15 girls race.

Jessie Roberts U15G Champion

Jessie's win was the highlight of a good day for the Club with five athletes earning selection for the Yorkshire teams at the Inter-Counties X-C races at Nottingham next month. Nunroyd Park, near Guiseley, was picturesque; the frost and snow covered scene was a welcome relief from the weeks of rain which had threatened the fixture although the undulating course was very muddy in parts.

Ladies Race -Nunroyd Park

Douglas Roberts was the first of the five to earn a vest, finishing 9th in the under 13 boys race. Scarlett Gray became the second when she finished 8th in the under 13 girls race but twin sister Jessica fell badly and had to retire hurt. The three-to-count scoring places were filled by sisters Jo and Rosie Adams in 18th and 27th places with Sophie Broadway 40th, Katie Roberts 46th, new girl Lindsey Johnston 50th and sprinter Leanne Shaw 55th making up the whole team. The team finished with 53 points and in 4th place, a position which was repeated through the afternoon. Philip Fitzpatrick and Chris Andrade ran in the under 15 boys race.

Louise Jackson-Andrea Woodvine-Rachel Robinson

A battling performance saw Philip gain selection but finish just out of the medals in 4th place but Chris pulled-up mid race with muscle cramp and did not finish. Jessie Roberts first place in the under 15 girls race along with Georgina Zissler 33rd and Ashleigh Robinson 36th gave the team 70 points and they tied with Leeds City AC - in 4th place. Again the Club had a serious contender dnf; Jade Cawthray arrived too late for a proper warm-up and when she couldn’t go with the pace in the harsh conditions, took a hard but right decision to drop out. Nick Zissler, Yorkshire X-C Champion three years ago, chose a quality race to make his competitive comeback after six months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury. He finished 12th in the under 17 boys race, just 90 seconds behind the winner and with no more than a couple of twinges. There were more than eighty runners toe the line for the Junior/Senior Ladies race, two laps of the park which by now was less scenic and more mudbath. Louise Jackson had one of her finest races to date coming home 7th overall, 6th Senior and earning the trip to Nottingham.

U 17 Men

Similarly, Andrea Woodvine (running as a Senior despite her Junior age because of European selection criteria), Rachel Robinson and Fiona Hughes all ran bravely to finish in 16th, 35th and 71st places respectively and again the team was 4th - pipped for bronze medals by just 7 points! The last race of the afternoon was the Senior Men over 11K and proved an arduous task. There were nine Harriers amongst more than one hundred and eighty at the start but James Wardman and Paul Roberts were both forced to retire injured leaving some unexpected names in the six-to-count team - Jon Orange 31st, Ken Harker 40th, Taff Rogers 108th, Jim Robinson 115th, Mike Brooks 129th and Ian Hepworth 150th, backed-up by Neil Piper in 162nd place. The team finished 12th for a change.

Sportshall Fixture Conyers School 7th December 2002

An omission from last week’s round-up of results was the Sportshall fixture at Conyers School on Saturday 7th December where Sophie Broadway won the Girls event, winning four out of five of the individual disciplines and setting four records in the process: 1st 2 lap sprint 24.31; 1st 6 lap time trial 1:24.9; 1st standing long jump 2m06; 2nd speed bounce 30 & 1st shot put 5m20. Sophie finished on 24 points with Ruth McDowell of Mandale, who had won the speed bounce in second place.