Tavistock Athelic Club senior men's team started their 09/10 cross country campaign in style with a convincing victory in the first Brooks Westward League fixture.

The 19 strong senior men's team produced their best start for several seasons. A massive field of approximately 150 runners turned out at the new venue at Central Park, Plymouth which proved to be an energy-sapping mix of tight bends and relentless inclines.

Despite a niggling hip injury, TAC were again lead home by star runner Jim Cole. One week after winning a fast 10 mile race in Bristol, Cole was slogging it out at the sharp end of a quite different event, coming home fourth in a high quality field.

Moving up to senior level for the first time, last year's U17 champion Tom Gill confirmed his huge talent with a seventh place despite a hip injury.

After a long and tiring Triathlon season in Europe, Peter Freedman made another significant contribution to team success with his 11th place. With five to count for the senior team score, inform Tony Symons(18th) and top over-50 Richard Drage (21st completed the counters, and defeating close rivals Cornwall AC by 10 points.

Chris Champion (24th) and Martin Exley (26th) combined with Symons and Drage to form the four counters in the veterans' competition, a trophy which Tavistock has held for each of the previous four seasons.

Other Tavistock finishers included debutants Nigel Jenkins (42nd, Richard Brady (60th), Nigel Ward (66th), Tim Exley (93rd) and Richard Best (103rd).

Team stalwarts Rupert Warren (36th), Neil Barkell (45th), Charlie Lloyd (65th) and Tim Brooks (71st) all made contributions to club success, whilst a trio of further graduates from last year's U17 champion squad, Owen Drage (98th), Matt McNamara-Waddington (102nd) and Reuben Grice (119th) got their first tastes of the senior competition.

In the ladies' race, Jo Meek ran despite a leg injury which had prevented her running since the Bristol Half Marathon several weeks ago. In typical fashion, Jo battled hard for a satisfying second place. With an impressive debut from Rachel Clay and a team performance from Heather Fell, despite serious stomach problems for hours before the race, Tavistock are sure to feature strongly when team results are confirmed.