TAVISTOCK Athletic Club had 11 junior athletes representing either Devon or Cornwall at the South West Schools Cross Country Championships at Stover School, Newton Abbot on Saturday, February 3.

William White (Tavistock College), representing Devon took 26th place in the minor boys race and won a gold medal as part of the winning Devon team.

Kristyna Cade (Ivybridge College) also representing Devon was 30th in the junior girls race. Junior boys Euan Botham (Mount Kelly), William Russell and Joe Dix (Tavistock College) ran for the Devon team.

Joe had to retire unwell due to suffering from the effects of a virus but Euan and William were placed 17th and 29th and helped Devon win team gold. Hopefully Joe will recover from the virus quickly.

In the inter boys competition, Bradley Stevens (Callington College) was placed eighth while representing Cornwall. TAC was very pleased to see Oliver Smart (Mount Kelly and Tavistock Run Project runner) take first place in this race by some distance.

Tilly Mcdowell, representing Cornwall and Natasha Farrington, Devon ran in the inter girls race with Natasha coming in sixth place and Tilly 12th. Team Devon won the gold medals.

Emma Ryder was 13th in the senior girls event and won a team bronze for Devon.

In the senior boys race Michael Barton was 46th and gained a team gold medal for Cornwall and Tom Brew came in 17th and won a team bronze medal for Devon. Edward Smart of TRP also helped Devon to win the bronze medal position.

TAVISTOCK Run Project had three athletes representing their respective counties at the South West Schools cross-country at Stover School last Saturday.

First up in the senior boys race was Ed Smart, competing with a foot injury. He ran a conservative and well-paced race with the reward of hopefully earning a place at English Schools next month.

Later in the day Jacob Hegarty represented Cornwall looked to have rediscovered his love for running with a solid run to also potentially secure a national placing.

Also running in the inter boys race as a first year, Ollie Smart once more demonstrated the form he has been in this winter with a dominant display.

Always in the lead group he moved away from a quality field just after the mid-point and ran to a comfortable victory by 50 metres to add the regional championships to the Devon crown he won two weeks ago.