TAVISTOCK Athletic Club?s purple patch was evident again at the south west cross country championships at Exeter on Sunday. The club took 29 competing athletes of all ages and a host of supporters to the event. The ground was wet and muddy, but overall weather conditions were good. First race of the day was the senior womens. Tavistock?s international runners, Maddie Horton and Jo Kelsey took the race on. Kelsey ended up with the bronze, just 18secs behind the Exeter Harriers winner. Horton finished in 4th, Fiona Dunn in 10th and Nicole Heryet in 40th to give the Tavistock ladies team the bronze medal overall, only 10 points behind the winners, East Cornwall AC. Tavistock?s under 17 lady, Suzy Blandford, finished 65th in the same race. In the next race, the U17 men, Tavistock just had one runner, Ross Honey who finished a creditable 30th. Under 13 Tavistock girls were led home by Rebbecca Windermer (24th), then Charlotte Herdman (31st) and Leonie Isaacs (35th). Then it was the turn of the under 13 boys, where Nick Champion had another great run, finishing 10th and Robert Bevridge finished 29th. The under 15 girls? race saw a special performance from new Tavistock runner, Sarah Palmer. Sarah has only just taken up cross country this season with the club, but gets stronger with every race. Coming into the home straight she was in bronze position but lost out on the sprint for the line and ended in a very, very creditable 5th position. Sarah?s team mates Laura Aspen and Katrina Smith finished 11th and 39th respectively. Tavistock fielded just two runners in the under 15 boys - Jake Rendle and Matt MacNamara ? Waddington. Unfortunately, Jake fell and spiked himself on the slippery twisting course and had to drop out. Matt ground out an excellent 30th place in a very tough race. Final race of the day over a tough 5 1/4 mile course (which included 4 laps with two long hills) was the senior men. Jim Cole led the field away from the start before the pack swallowed him on the first long hill. Cole held on for 12th, followed by Richard Drage in 18th who also picked up 2nd vet 40 place, then Adam Holland was 25th , Chris Champion 27th (3rd male vet 40) and the final team count was Tony Symons in 38th. Non-scoring runners were: Martin Exley (44th), Paul Sturtridge (54th,1st Vet 50), Charlie Lloyd (62nd) Chris Eastaugh (64th ), Lachlan Mackay- Brown (76th), Allan Herdman (78th, 3rd Vet 50), Adrian Bower (118th), Mike Lewis (137th, 3rd vet 60), Nigel Rendle (143rd). Tavistock men?s team picked up the bronze medal behind Cornwall and Bideford athletic clubs. With a haul of six individual medals and two team bronze medals Tavistock can be proud of their performance. To be ranked 3rd men?s and 3rd ladies team in the southwest is a testament to the hard training and dedicated coaching being under taken at the club. For more information about the club visit http://www.tavistockathletics.com">www.tavistockathletics.com
