There were a host of top individual showings as Nene Valley Harriers took part in their traditional cross country finale at RAF Cranwell over the weekend.
The aim of this meet is always to assist the athletes of the Air Training Corp.
As athletes from Nene Valley take part in their national championships, it enables the first four cadets in each age group to win their Corp colours.
The match was contested on a breezy and bitterly cold day – but that did not prevent the athletes claiming eight individual awards.
The day could not have started better, with Amber Park leading the way in the under-15 girls’ race. She was tracked all the way by team-mates Josie Fortune and Hanna Ray, with all three girls clear of the first cadet.
The NVH team won the Corp match and was completed by Paula Naylor in 13th. Rebecca Pringle also finished 15th place in the same event.
Also dominating the Corp match were the under-17 men. Ollie Bowling took on the field at an early stage and led team mate Austin Herbert to the finish.
The team was completed by Denzel Mposu in fourth place.
The under-17 and under-20 ladies – in a combined competition –marginally missed out in the Corp Match.
Megan Ellison went out and won the praise of the base commander by winning the race by over half a minute. She was supported in the match by Beth Goymour (4th) and Imogen Woodard (6th) to miss out on winning the Corp match by just one place.
Completing the team was Alice Callcut (7th), who was chased to the line by NVH team-mates Olivia Ozkan (8th), Beth Howells (9th), Amy Gibbons (15th) and Annie Grey (19th).
Nene Valley’s under-20 men unfortunately fell short of a team after pull-outs, but James McCrae again dominated the race to finish 59 seconds clear of the field. Michael Cawood also managed to finish a creditable fourth place.
Ethan Ellison led the NVH athletes with his third place in the under 15 boys’ race. The team was completed by Mapesho Mutukuma (6th), Codi Leigh Middleton (12th), and Oliver Oakley (13th).
The grouping of NVH youngsters at the front of the field impressed the cadet officers with Matt Dowling (14th) and Dan Lawrence (16th).
The club now looks forward to the track and field season, with the first races being the Southern Athletics League on April 16 (seniors) and the Eastern Young Athletes meeting the next day for the youngsters.
