News: Cross-country

Proud Newbury X-country runners with some of their trophies

Newbury A.C successfully defended both of the Senior titles in the Oxford Mail Cross Country League, with the Men’s team setting another club record score down from 134 points to just 77. It was also our first win in the Senior Men’s race as good pals Alex Muir and Tom Watkins crossed the line in unison to win by a good margin. Individually the Women had an amazing season with no fewer than eight Women coming away with an individual medal. Our club leader Sarah Fowler won Gold in the veteran 3 age group where she was unbeaten all season, Sarah is also the first athlete to run 30 races in the Oxford Mail having not missed one since the club joined the league in 2006. Sue Van Huyssteen was also crowned champion in the Veteran 2 age group. There were well earned Silver medals for Sophie Fowler in the Under 20′s, and Sophie Crumly in the Senior Women. Under 17 Victoria Duncan has really taken to running cross country as she won the Bronze in her first full season, Charlotte Fowler picked up her first individual award with a Bronze in the under 20′s. Jess Franklin was one of a handful of athletes who ran every race the club entered in to this season, this time she was rewarded with the Bronze in the Senior Women’s, and Bev Hall rounded off another fine season with a Bronze in the Veteran 2 age group. Special thanks go to our superb team of officials who braved the worst conditions of the season, Karen Yewer, Bev Hall, Brian Ireland, Dave Mason, Tony Mason and Charles Fowler. Thank you everyone who ran for our club on the Country this season, you really have been fantastic ! – Andy Tuttle

Full results for Round 5 and final tables for 2011-12

Twelve Newbury A.C members enjoyed the glorious sunshine in London when competing at the English National cross country championships held on the notorious Parliament Hill fields, Hampstead Heath on Saturday. With just a few patches of mud still present it was only the hills left to slow the proceedings down a little. Alex Muir was first out on the course as he tackled the Junior Men’s race, he had a fine run to come home in 35th place. Newbury were just one short to make a Senior Women’s team but with all three Women taking part for the first time at the championships there are encouraging signs we will be able to field a full team next year. The ever present Jess Franklin delivered another good run to finish in 80th place, Becky Coxhead has also done every cross country this season and ran well in 428th, and Emma Carter found the event good preparation for longer races to come, she finished 643rd.
The clubs Senior Men continued their superb season, they closed a team in 49th place out of 125 and ahead of any other club in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon region. They were Mark Vardy 351st, James Craggs 364th, Peter Crisp 531st, Sam Hall 665th, Dave Wright 723rd, Andy Tuttle 834th, Dean Makar 890th and Chris Hobson 980th, out of over 1600 finishers.

Andy Tuttle

Our annual Cross Country Presentation Evening is to be held on Saturday 24^th March at Oakley Farm, Wash Water, Newbury, Berks. RG20 0LP  (Bev’s place).

The evening will start at 6.30pm with the presentations commencing at 7pm.

All members and their families are welcome to attend   There will be a buffet meal (please can everyone attending the evening bring a contribution of food along).  Please also bring your own drinks.

To reserve your place please speak to Bev Hall, phone 01635 36581 or email Bev directly.

"Newbury AC Mascot !!??"

The Senior Women’s team have opened up a massive 195 point lead at the top of the Oxford Mail cross country league following some superb results in the penultimate fixture at a snowy Cirencester Park. Jess Franklin delivered her best league performance to date finishing runner up and coming within 11 seconds of the winning athlete. Sophie Fowler was one of several athletes that were competing in their 3rd cross country race in five days but she showed no signs of tiring as she not only earned 12th place in the Senior race but also 2nd in the under 20 age group, with sister Charlotte 3rd under 20, both now occupy medal placings in the league.
Chloe Coxhead produced her best run in recent years in 16th place to close the A team, Bev Hall was one place behind claiming 2nd place in the vet 45 age group in the process. Sarah Fowler made it four wins out of four as she pushed on to an unassailable lead in the vet 55 age group, while Sue Van Huyssteen hot off her 50 mile race the day before moved one step closer to sealing the veteran 45 age group crown with her 20th place finish. On the day our Senior Men came up against a very strong host club who packed all their 7 A team athletes in to record only 99 points, we did well to see our second best score of the season with 157 points. Thank you to all the athletes that made the trip despite the weather, it was very rewarding to see we still managed to get the required 14 Senior Men out to keep the B team flying high in division 2.

Full Results:

Under 11 G – Maddy Mitton 13th. Under 11 B – Ed Fry 8th, Oscar Reeves 20th. Under 13 G – Izzy Fry 7th, Holly Blower 14th. Under 13 B – Benji Fry 9th, Matthew Pudney 18th, Joshua Reeves 20th. Under 15 G – Jenny Pudney 14th, Polly Mitton 16th.
Under 15 B – Harry Russell 7th, Phillip Carter 9th. Under 17 W – Victoria Duncan 5th, Samantha Van Huyssteen 6th. Under 17 M – William Tyson 9th. Senior Women – Jess Franklin 2nd, Sophie Fowler 12th, Chloe Coxhead 16th, Bev Hall 17th, Sue Van Huyssteen 20th, Charlotte Fowler 22nd, Sarah Fowler 23rd, Fiona Pocklington 29th, Becky Coxhead 30th, Tania Whitby 41st, Julie Coxhead 59th, Catherine Tuttle 65th, Emma Carter 89th.
Senior Men – Mark Vardy 11th, James Craggs 18th, Sam Hall 21st, Peter Crisp 23rd, Steve Barnes 24th, Wayne Lillis 28th, Alan Money 32nd, Dave Wright 54th, Irwin Fairclough 63rd, Mike Robbins 68th, Andy Tuttle 70th, Chris Hobson 74th, Bruce Bamber 102nd, Paul Reeves 125th.
It was so good to see fifteen of our regular young athletes turn out on such a day, many acheiving their best runs to date.

The Senior Men’s team continued their good start to 2012 as they were the highest placed Berkshire club at the South of England Championships held at Stanmer Park on Saturday. The team were placed 36th out of 79 thanks to runs from James Craggs 166th, Sam Hall 217th, Mark Vardy 286th, Dave Wright 338th, Dean Makar 419th and Chris Hobson 446th.
Although the Senior Women were just one short of making a scoring team they all ran individual best placing’s at the championships, Jess Franklin came 44th, Sue Van Huyssteen 113th and Becky Coxhead 194th.
Alex Muir produced a very impressive run to finish 21st in the under 20 Men’s race, and Benji Fry ran well at his first major championships narrowly missing the top 100, finishing in 105th place.
Many thanks from the team to Brian Ireland for driving the Mini bus for us all.

Andy