GIRLS from Vale Royal Athletics Club helped Cheshire to win their only medal at Saturday’s UK Counties Athletics Union (CAU) Cross Country Championships in Birmingham.

Jessica Parsons and Katie Gerrard were the county’s highest-placed finishers in the U15s girls’ race at Cofton Park, earning Cheshire a team bronze medal.

Their points total was the same as their Surrey counterparts, who scooped silver for having the best fourth count finisher.

Warrington pair Harriet Knowles-Jones and Elizabeth Smith completed Cheshire’s medal-winning quartet.

It was a day to remember as well for Vale Royal AC’s Elliot Bowker, who crossed the line fourth in the U15s boys’ race.

The Cheshire champion, second in January’s Northern Championships at Wakefield, clocked 14:53 on his way to narrowly missing out on a podium place.

There were notable finishes too for Tessa McCormick (U17s girls), who scored a top 30 finish, while Matthew Sheen placed 33rd in the same race as Bowker.

Cheshire were fourth in the U15s boys’ category as a result.


UK CAU Cross Country Championships
Cofton Park, Birmingham, Saturday – Senior Men (Cheshire team runners’ only):
39. Daniel Cliffe 37:14; 80. Tom Carter 38:10; 83. Tim Pattison 38:16; 100. Marc Hartley 38:39; 128. James Wignall 39:24; 151. Stuart Doyle 39:57. Teams: 10. Cheshire 581pts.

Senior Women: 29. Olivia Bush 29:31; 33. Hayley Kuter 29:52; 45. Katie Brough 30:16; 83. Gemma Connolly 31:06; 108. Kate Spilsbury 31:46; 129. Sarah Murphy 32:17; 157. Kate Titlow 33:06; 192. Diane Mitson 34:33. Teams: 9. Cheshire 427pts.

U20s Men: 22. Liam Renton 26:20; 27. Tom Jervis 26:28; 58. Henry Valentine 27:20; 112. Thomas Haynes 28:34; 134. Andrew Miles 29:16; 141. Nathan Brown 29:29; 178. Sean Dyer 31:03. Teams: 9. Cheshire 219pts.

U20s Women: 102. Lucy Whittick 26:14. U17s Boys: 48. Matthew Hulse 20:06; 70. Cameron Field 20:21; 71. Mike Vennard 20:21; 119. Richard Owen 20:57; 185. Henry Buttress 21:44; 218. Ryan Moore 22:17; 223. Luke Cockerton 22:29; 242. Patrick Stradling 23:33. Teams: 14. Cheshire 308pts.

U17s Girls: 26. Tessa McCormick 20:06; 60. Danielle Wallis 20:51; 140. Kate Moulds 22:17; 154. Jade Evans 22:31; 185. Emma Pyatt 23:00; 195. Chloe Yates 23:08; 235. Hannah Bishop 24:29; 257. Lauren Whittaker 28:08. Teams: 19. Cheshire 380pts.

U15s Boys: 4. Elliot Bowker 14:53; 20. Daniel Evans 15:18; 33. Matthew Sheen 15:32; 75. Tim Morris 15:58; 127. Leighton Sharman 16:25; 145. Daniel Morrison 16:35; 236. Robert Dykes 17:22; 256. Mark Hearn 17:40. Teams: 4. Cheshire 132pts.

U15s Girls: 13. Jessica Parsons 16:13; 15. Katie Gerrard 16:19; 17. Harriet Knowles-Jones 16:25; 66. Elizabeth Smith 17:08; 73. Kate Merrill 17:15; 85. Amy Hinchly 17:25; 134. Holly Tidd 17:50; 156. Lucy Scott 18:04. Teams: 3. Cheshire 111pts.

U13s Boys: 41. Jack Evans 11:02; 58. Cameron Weaver 11:11; 78. William Parsons 11:19; 89. Callum Ahern 11:21; 135. William Nowell 11:36; 146. Josh Hinchly 11:40; 277. Chris Larkin 12:33. Teams: 13. Cheshire 266pts.

U13s Girls: 81. Sarah McGrail 12:17; 96. Zara Thompson 12:24; 98. Melissa Boyer 12:25; 120. Georgia Aston-Massey 12:33; 122. Kate Lowery 12:34; 141. Olivia Bush 12:42; 183. Lauren Ferris 13:01; 200. Lauren Goddard 13:05. Teams: 20. Cheshire 395pts.