An impressive all-round display saw Nene Valley Harriers come away from the Lincolnshire County Cross Country Championships with three individual winners and two team titles.
The new course in the centre of the Lincolnshire Wolds at Biscathorpe served as a fine setting for the event on Sunday, with three river crossings, muddy hills and undulating terrain making it a true cross country race.
The muddy hill as the athletes completed the third river crossing took its toll on the athletes – but Harrier Cat Foley used it to her benefit in the senior ladies’ race.
She stormed the hill and into the woods to take the lead and never looked back over this tricky part of the course, crossing the line as a comfortable county champion.
Grace Mullins, in one of her first events following injury, also finished strongly and well clear in third place.
Unfortunately, there were no other athletes to finish the team out.
Niam Payne was another athlete who found the tough conditions to his liking.
He pulled away from the field on the first lap of the under-17 men’s race and continuing to cope with the conditions to also become county champion.
Austin Herbert supported him with a county bronze medal, holding on well for his third place. This set the team up for the win, with Bradley Allen supporting the leaders well. The ‘B’ team didn’t hang around either, with Nathaniel Taylor (7th), Nathan Davey (12th) and Will Baker (13th) taking a well deserved silver team medal.
The most dominant performance as a team – and showing the strength that Nene Valley have in depth – were the under-20 men.
The club had entered four athletes and they took all four top places in the race.
Jake Richardson skimmed over the wet surface, finishing strongly among the leading athletes in the race to win his county championship.
This race is run along with the senior men and vet men – and although the overall team place could not be verified, they would have been close to a silver senior team medal.
Richardson was followed in by James McRae in the silver medal position, with Alex Hampson just behind to take the bronze medal.
The course was tough on middle distance athlete Brad Spurdens, but his spirited fight for fourth place confirmed the team’s dominance.
Elsewhere, under-15 girl Hana Ray won a bronze medal, again proving the toughness of the youngster.
Her team including Paula Naylor (7th) and Ffion Lewis (13th) won the silver team medal.
Also winning team medals were the under-15 boys’ squad of Nandeli Pelembe (8th), Ethan Ellison (9th) and Codi Leigh Middleton (11th) who were well grouped, and the under-17 ladies’ team of Megan Ellison (6th), Alice Callcut (9th) and Hermione Wright (10th).
As well as the individual and team medals, nine athletes have also guaranteed their places for the inter-counties – with a further potential for 13 others to join them.
