SUNDAY saw Tavistock Athletic Club travel to the final fixture of the prestigious Westward League cross country series. The league is open to all athletic clubs in Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset. The races were held in the grounds of Bicton College, near Exmouth in ideal conditions. The hilly, rolling course proved a tough test for all athletes. In the first race of the day Rebecca Windemer got the club off to a flying start in the U13 girls with a magnificent third place, having worked hard to get to the front of the field. Leone Isaacs battled gamely to 18th place in the same field. Next was the U13 boys and it was another plucky race from Nick Champion who stormed into second place. Ben Brown, the other Tavistock runner in the race, had a creditable 19th place. In the U15 Girls, Tavistock fielded a team of three. Sarah Palmer led that team home in third, and Laura Aspen (6th) and Catriona Smith (16th) put in performances that would consequently lead to a team medal. Then it was the big race. Tavistock had spent the week preparing and rallying all runners for the senior men?s race to see if they could win the league. With just a few points separating Tavistock in second and leading team Cornwall AC, everyone had to be on their mettle if they were to snatch the title. The race was a cracker and new boy Cole came out of the blocks fast and determined to put last week?s disappointment of the Inter-Counties Champs behind him. The Tavistock boys backed up Cole as he battled to his highest position of the season, second. Drage worked his way through to finish fourth. Champion got the better of Exley in the latter stages to finish seventh and eighth respectively. Adam Holland completed the counters in tenth with a solid run. But it has been Tavistock?s strength in depth that has proved to be its biggest asset. The Tavistock non-scoring runners did a marvellous job and isolated the weak Cornwall team. Those runners were: Eastaugh (12th), Shaddick (15th?debut), Sturtridge (17th), Musgrave (25th), Morlock (39th _ debut), Herdman (33rd), Lake (44th-debut), Bazely (49th), Beaumont (55th). The final two races of the afternoon proved to be equally as exciting. The senior ladies? was again won by Maddie Horton who looked untroubled throughout the race. Rachel Short making her debut had a fine run in 12th and Nicole Heryet in 15th gave Tavistock a solid team performance. The non-scorers again did the club proud and battled gamely. They were Carrie Lawson (26th), Karole Champion (27th), and Jocelyn McInnes (28th). In the final race of the day it was to be another Tavistock victory as Tom Lawson who is in tantalising form destroyed the field to win. Matt McNamara-Waddington produced a solid run to finish tenth. The athletes then had an agonising wait for the final league computations. The wait was worth it, with Tavistock AC picking up in the individual placings two golds, four silvers and two bronze. In the team placing the club was awarded two golds, one silver and two bronze medals. But what was most pleasing was that in that haul Tavistock?s senior men were crowned champions for the first time in their history. The men?s team is currently the Devon Champions, the seventh best UK Veterans team and now the Westward League Champions. Individual medallists: U13 boys, 2nd Nick Champion. U15 boys, 2nd Tom Lawson. Senior ladies, 1st Maddie Horton. Vet 40 men, 3rd Chris Champion, Vet 45 men, 1st Richard Drage, 2nd Martin Exley. Vet 50 men, 2nd Allan Herdman, 3rd Robin Musgrave. Team medals. U15 girls, 3rd. Senior ladies, 2nd. Senior men, 1st. Vet men 1st, 3rd.
