England team gain form and experience at XC in Belgium
England fielded Teams in the Easykit Cross Cup Competition in Rotselaar, Belgium. Against strong opposition the English Athletes gained form and experience with the Junior Women the most successful.
In their race Hannah Hobbs (Yate AC / Westbury, Coach: Pat Gallagher) came home 1st in 14.58 with Francesca Brint (Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Paul Roden) 2nd while Meg Ormond (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Shireen Higgins) placed 11th and Jessica Keene (Blackheath and Bromley AC) 15th.
The in-form Thomas Keen (Cambridge & Coleridge AC) was the best of the English Junior Men; Keen battled it out for the lead but eventually had to settle for 2nd just 2 seconds down on Tim Van de Velde who won in 18.47. Joshua Cowperthwaite (Middlesbrough (Mandale) AC, Coach: Martin Peevor) took 3rd a further second back, Alfie Manthorpe (Sheffield & Dearne, Coach: John Wood) came home 5th and Jeremy Dempsey 7th (Shaftsbury Barnet AC, Coach: George Harris) to complete the scoring.
In the Senior Women’s race, Charlotte Christensen (Cambridge & Coleridge AC) was the best of the England quartet placing 4th in a race won by Sofie Van Accom in a time of 20.41, Christensen’s time was 21.06 while Kate Hewison (Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Paul Roden) placed 5th, Jane Potter (Charnwood AC) 7th and Juliet Potter 12th (Charnwood AC, Coach: Roy Stowell) in a field of 43.
Adam Hickey (Southend AC, Coach: Eamonn Martin), in the Senior Men’s race continued his return to form with a 3rd place in 28.17; the clear winner was Soufiane Bouchikhi of Belgium who won in 27.35. Alex Breaker (City of Stoke AC, Coach: Geoffrey James) was the next English athlete home in 7th, Jack Gray (Cambridge & Coleridge AC, Coach: Nick Price) finished 13th and Maximilian Nichols (Tonbridge AC, Coach: Peter Brenchley) 18th.
This race completed the Winter races in Spain and Belgium. The final International takes place on the 24th March when the Home Countries International is staged at Wollaton Park, Nottingham.