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England Team announced for Junior Mountain Running

We are pleased to announce our Junior team who will compete in a Home Countries International incorporated into the British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships on 16 September 2017 in Peebles, Scotland.

The British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships is hosted in turn by each of the participating countries and this year’s event in Peebles follows on from a successful event in Keswick in 2016. This event brings the mountain running season to a close and provides an important development opportunity. England have a good record and this year we have a particularly strong team.

The athlete are representing England A and B teams at U20 and U17 age groups, under the team management of Anne Buckley, Carol Evans, Duncan Richards, and Alec Duffield.

U20 A Teams

Rory Domville (Club: Reading AC, Coach: Derek Hawkins)
Joseph Dugdale Cumberland Fell Runners, Coach: Brian Thompson)
Chris Richards (Club: Helm Hill Runners, Coach: Martin Cox)
Nathan Smith (Club: City of York)
Robyn Bennett (Club: Elswick Harriers)
Fiona Bunn (Club: Abingdon, Coach: Bernard Wilkins)
Scarlet Dale (Club: Lancaster & Morecombe AC, Coach: Colin Gemson)
Helen Thornhill (Club: Buxton)

U17 A Teams

Tom Barrett (Club: Keighley & Craven, Coach: Alan Buckley/John Dennis)
Euan Brennan (Club: Ilkley, Coach: Andy Henderson)
Joe Hudson (Club:, Coach: Alan Buckley/John Dennis)
Matthew Mackay (Club: Rossendale)
Eve Crownshaw (Club: Dark Peak, Coach: Keith Whitelam)
Emily Field (Club: Bingley Harriers)
Briony Holt (Club: Clayton le Moor)
Rosie Woodhams (Club: Dallam)

U20 B Teams

Ben Bergstrand (Club: Middlesbrough (Mandale), Coach: Martin Peevor)
Tyler Hutchinson (Club: City of York, Coach: Andy Henderson)
Eddie Narbett (Club: Team Bath)
Mac O’Malley (Club: Trafford, Coach: Paul Shaw)
Imogen Burrow (Club: Helm Hill, Coach: Billy Proctor)
Jemima Elgood (Club: Ilkley Harriers)
Lucy Haines (Club: Ilkley Harriers)
Lily Higgins (Club: Halesowen, Coach: Michael Mielczarek)

U17 B Teams

Finnian Hutchinson (Club: City of York, Coach: Andy Henderson)
Reuben Mantle (Club: Bingley Harriers)
Xavier O’Hare (Club: Trafford, Coach: Neil Canham)
William Tighe (Club: Chesterfield, Coach: Ian Menzies)
Poppy Cooke (Club: Leeds City)
Mia Easthope (Club: Copeland/Cumberland Fell Runners, Coach: Brian Thompson)
Emily Jones (Club: Wharfedale)
Holly Love (Club: Worcester, Coach: Dave Walker)

Athlete profiles

Rory Domville has made a major breakthrough this year since he has started to work with Derek Hawkins. This will be his England debut. Joe Dugdale has had a great year, finishing 8th in the European Mountain Running Championships on his GB&NI debut. He was also 6th in the International Youth Cup. Joe was 2nd in the U17 race at this event last year. Chris Richards has had a successful year, running for GB&NI in both the world and European mountain running championships where he finished 16th and 15 respectively. He will be looking to improve on his 7th place in this event last year. Nathan Smith is in his first year as an U20, having won the U17 race at this event last year. He was part of the GB&NI team at the World Mountain Running Championships in Italy in July and is also a good triathlete.

Robyn Bennett ran very well at the trial race, finishing 2nd, and will be looking to improve on her 11th place in this event last year. Fiona Bunn is a junior international orienteer. She was a clear winner of the trial race and will be aiming for a top placing in Peebles. Scarlet Dale has had an excellent year representing GB & NI at both the European and the World Mountain Running Championships, where she finished 6th and 7th respectively. Helen Thornhill made her debut for GB & NI in 2017 at the European Mountain Running Championships where she finished a creditable 20th and was part of the gold medal winning team.

Tom Barrett made his England debut in this event last year. He has improved a lot in the last 12 months and will be looking to improve on his 11th place. Euan Brennan has had a great year making his England debut at the International Youth Cup in Italy in June where he finished an excellent 5th and led the England team to bronze medals. Winner of the trial race, Joe Hudson was also part of the England bronze medal winning team at the International Youth Cup in June finishing 14th. He won a bronze medal in this event last year. Matthew Mackay was 9th at the International Youth Cup in Italy in June. He was 3rd in the trial race and forms a strong team with 2 of his team mates from the event in Italy.

This will be Eve Crownshaw’s 3rd England vest following her 2nd placing at the trial, having represented her country earlier in the year at the International Youth Cup in Italy. Making her debut and securing her place in the England team, Emily Field had a strong run to win the trial this year. Briony Holt finished 3rd in the trial and makes her debut for England after a good cross country and fell season which saw her finish 3rd in the U17 FRA championships. Rosie Woodhams is the current U17G FRA champion and also makes her debut in an England vest. She has a strong background over the country, fell and track and latterly posted a 9;47 3000m for a fine 4th in the recent ESAA championships.

This will be Ben Bergstrand’s England debut. He has run well this year at xc and on the track, where he has set a significant new PB at 3000m. Tyler Hutchinson is another athlete from the Yorkshire Triathlon Academy. He was 11th in this event last year. Eddie Narbett makes his England debut at this event following his good performance at the trial. Mac O’Malley comes from a track background and secured his place in the team with an excellent 4th place in the trial. This will be his England debut.

Imogen Burrow represented England in the International Youth Cup in Italy in June, where she finished a creditable 22nd. She was 7th in the U17 race at this event last year and will be looking to run well in her first year as an U20. Jemima Elgood last ran in this event 2 years ago in the U17 race. She finished 4th in the trial race for this event. Lucy Haines is an experienced mountain runner and has run in the International Youth Cup as an U18. Lily Higgins made her England debut in the International Youth Cup in June where she finished a creditable 28th. She has had a successful track season, finishing 2nd in the steeplechase at the Midlands Championships.

Finnian Hutchinson comes from a triathlon background. He makes his England debut at this event. Reuben Mantle is also a triathlete. He was 7th in this event last year. Xavier O’Hare makes his debut at this event after running his first mountain race at the trial. He has had a good season on the track running PBs at 800m, 1500m and 3000m. William Tighe makes his England debut at this event after a strong run in the trial race.

Poppy Cooke is a seasoned cross country and fell runner and gains her second England vest with her 5th placing in the trial race. Another making her debut, Mia Easthope ran well for 4th in the trial after a good season on the fells. Gaining valuable experience from the trial race where she finished 7th, Emily Jones makes her debut for England. Holly Love’s 6th place in the trial also secures her debut run for England.

We wish them all the best!

Photo by Dave Woodhead