TAVISTOCK Athletic Club enjoyed a very successful day in the third round of the Westward Cross Country League at Exeter, on Sunday, December 7.

This event also incorporated the Devon County Championships so, despite a heavy, muddy course, a good turnout was guaranteed across the club age groups.

Getting proceedings up and running for the first race of the day was the girls and boys Under 11 development race.

Three TAC boys ran, Oscar Norton (18th), Reuben Aggiss making his debut (55th) and Toby Sylvester (62nd).

Then followed the combined Senior Women, Under 17 boys and Under 17 girls races, run over a 6km course with 149 finishers.

Connor Duffin was sixth in the U17 Devon Championships and Charlotte Walker was first home for the ladies (ninth), but picked up first place in the Under 20’s for the Devon Championships, with sister Hannah Walker finishing fifth.

Jo Meek had an inspired run finishing 19th and winning the Devon Vet 45 category. Fast finishing Jasmine Gray was next home in 21st place with Hannah Worth and Jenny Jeeves (first V55) backing up.

The ladies’ team was placed second overall in the Senior Women’s championship and won gold in the Masters’ class.

Notable performances also came from Emma White (2nd V45), Carole Walters (2nd V60) and from debutants Nichola Noble (67th) and Ellie Reynolds (90th).

Next race was the Under 13 girls with Harriet Silvester representing the club. She finished 23rd in the league race which gave her a very credible 14th in the Devon Championship. In the boys Under 13’s, Ollie Neale finished 20th to give him 11th in the Championship. In the Under 15 girls race TAC finished 3rd in the Championship with Grace Gokhale (15th), Olivia Clark (17th) and Flora Lee-Langmead (18th) showing great determination to grab the bronze.

The penultimate race was the Under 15 boys racing over a 3.5km course.

TAC has a really strong squad and, despite some of them having a schools race the day before, they turned out in force to take the team gold from Exeter Harriers and Torbay.

Freddie Whybrow controlled the race from the front and won comfortably by 24 seconds.

Luke Scott-Tucker was sixth and Arthur Norton seventh followed by Eldon Young (eighth), Alistair Graham (ninth), Archie Neale (15th) and Charlie Cleland (16th).

Final race of the day was the Senior Men over 8km of mud.

Ben Neale led the team home finishing 25th and first Vet 40. With Sam Larkham 39th (2nd Vet 40) and Tom Brogden (41st and 3rd Vet 40), it meant the club had a clean sweep of the individual medals in the Male Vet 40 category and won the Masters team gold in the Championship.

Marc Curtis was next home in 93rd place and gained silver in the Vet 55 category. Paddy Moyna (101st), Martin Exley-Deane (105th), Stephen Gokhale (107th), Joe Chalk (108th) and David Harris (111th and first V60) rounded off a successful afternoon for the club.

Pictured are the Tavistock Athletic Club U15 boys, who were crowned as Devon team champions in their age group.