VALE Royal Athletics Club’s under 15s boys continued a stunning season on Saturday when they won a silver medal during the English Cross Country Relays.

Teenagers Oliver Waring, Alfie Bould and Ben Lee resisted the challenge of closest rivals Charnwood to finish as runners-up at Berry Hill Park in Mansfield.

They are only the second male trio from the Knights Grange-based club to win a medal at the annual event.

“It’s a remarkable achievement,” said coach Shaun McGrath.

“I’m not sure how they felt out on the course, but it was heart-stopping for us watching!

“To win a medal in this age category, where the fields are so big and high in quality, takes some doing.”

Bould and Waring ran the ninth and 10th fastest legs of the day respectively.

Lee slipped briefly to third after the final handover before recovering to cross the line second.

The club’s under 15s boys have collected titles in 2015 at the Northern road and cross country relays as well as the North West Counties road relays.

Theirs is the eighth medal won by a Vale Royal team at the English Cross Country Relays since under 15s girls’ trio Kathy Stringer, Hannah Paver and Rebecca Craigie won bronze in 2006.

Also on Saturday, Vale Royal’s senior men – represented by Chris Perry, Stuart Doyle, Oliver Williams and Ryan Moore – recorded the club’s best result to date in their category, finishing 31st.

Katie Brough, Sarah Murphy and Amelia Pettitt were 10th in the senior women’s race.

An under 17s boys team of Cameron Weaver, Arun Dight and Josh Betteley ranked seventh, while Ed Pettitt, James Lanni and Alife Dexter were 10th among under 13s boys.

Vale Royal were also represented in the junior women, under 17s and under 13s girls’ races.

 

Results

English Cross Country Relays

Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, Saturday

Senior men: 1, Morpeth Harriers AC A 1:01.38; 2. Highgate Harriers A 1:01.39; 3. Tonbridge AC A 1:02.07; 31. Vale Royal AC (Chris Perry, Stuart Doyle, Oliver Williams, Ryan Moore) 1:07.32

Senior women: 1. Leeds City AC A 29.37.00; 2. Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers A 29.38.90; 3. Aldershot Farnham & District A 29.44.90; 10. Vale Royal AC A (Katie Brough, Sarah Murphy, Amelia Pettitt) 31.11.00; 37. Vale Royal AC B (Kate Moulds, Kate Titlow, Emma Pyatt) 34.37.40

Junior women: 1. Aldershot Farnham & District A 26.02.90; 2. Stockport Harriers 26.55.45; 3. Loughborough Students 27.06.75; 16. Vale Royal AC (Chloe Broad, Lucy Burch, Clara Pettitt) 30.31.80

Under 17s boys: 1. Tonbridge AC A 27.40.75; 2. Bedford & County AC A 27.46.90; 3. Cambridge & Coleridge AC A 27.52.25; 7. Vale Royal AC (Cameron Weaver, Arun Dight, Josh Betteley) 28.30.25

Under 17s girls: 1. Aldershot Farnham & District A 26.40.50; 2. Blackheath & Bromley Harriers 26.52.15; 3. Charnwood AC A 27.16.85; 30. Vale Royal AC (Cara Gibbons, Chloe Dooley, Esme Bridge) 30.26.10

Under 15s boys: 1. Bracknell AC A 19.12.70; 2. Vale Royal AC A (Oliver Waring, Alfie Bould, Ben Lee) 19.23.00; 3. Charnwood AC A 19.24.35; 27. Vale Royal AC B (Harper Whitehead, Alex Doyle, John Humphries) 20.50.40; 72. Vale Royal AC C (Sam Washington, Charlie Fawkes, Aaron Doyle) 24.01.55

Under 13s boys: 1. Aldershot Farnham & District B 21.21.75; 2. Aldershot Farnham & District A 21.27.65; 3. Herne Hill Harriers A 21.35.05; 10. Vale Royal AC (Ed Pettitt, James Lanni, Alfie Dexter) 22.08.45

Under 13s girls: 1. Herne Hill Harriers A 22.22.45; 2. Blackheath & Bromley Harriers 22.29.95; 3. Ipswich Harriers A 22.55.45; 43. Vale Royal AC (Beth Latham, Faye Conboy, Holly Dooley) 25.37.75