Molly Williams made it a club record four wins from four in the West Midlands Young Athletes Cross Country League as she helped Rugby & Northampton Athletic Club maintain their grip on the under 11 girls championship.
A time of seven minutes and 21 seconds around the Pingles Stadium, Nuneaton, ensured a comprehensive nine-second victory for Wiliiams on another successful day for R&N’s young athletes, with the club still in the commanding position of leading five of the eight age groups with one meeting remaining.
Holly Walker (8th, 07:47), Alice Jackson (9th, 07:51), Elysia Day (12th, 07:55) and Gabriella Peck (07:57) also scored for the under 11 girls to ensure they stay at the top of the pile, 45 points ahead of nearest rivals RSCAC.
Mac Ryder (07:05) was also a winner for R&N in the under 11 boys, ahead of team-mates Isaac Thorman (9th, 07:19), Noah Bennett (14th, 07:31), Harry Boynton (15th, 07:34) and Edward Faulds (17th, 07:34) whose points-scoring runs kept the club at the top of the table.
Joe Musgrove (1st, 08:49) won the internal battle with Adam Searle (2nd, 08:55) to edge out his fellow clubman in the under 13 boys, while Rhys James (3rd, 09:03) completed a clean-sweep of the podium for the Sixfields-based club. Ethan Kent-Whittaker (8th, 09:20) and Matthew Rushton (12th, 09:37) made up the club top five, with the boys looking to have an unassailable lead at the summit of the series standings, leading Birchfield Harriers by over 350 points.
In the under 13 girls, Poppy Carmichael’s time of 09:27 was enough to see her come home in second, backed-up by Georgina Woodward (7th, 09:59), Amy Walker (11th, 10:11), Abigail Pearce (17th, 10:18) and Charis Hayes (18th, 10:18), who all ensured the team remain 164 points ahead of Cannock & Staffs in first place.
Eighty points separate second-placed R&N from leaders Wolverhampton & Bilston at the top of the under 15s table. Oskar Potomski (6th, 12:20), Joshua Lay (9th, 12:22), Cameron Roberts (35th, 13:42), Finn Hutton (42nd, 13:55) and Thomas Haynes (43rd 13:56) secured an 870 point haul for the club.
A time of 14:07 saw Ella Rose Bromley end sixth in the under 15 girls, who sit in fifth place after four rounds of competition. Georgia Willix (25th, 15:21), Rhian Williams (59th, 17:13), Millie Mason (63rd, 17:33) and Charlotte Valentine (65th, 17:37) also scored for R&N.
R&N’s under 17 men will have to make up a 100-point margin at round five if they are to take gold in the series as they sit third behind Halesowen and Birchfield Harriers. Ben Musgrove was first home for the club in ninth (18:21), assisted by team-mates Hizam Sheekh (20th, 19:10) and Eddie Wise (28th, 19:45).
Kirsty Goddard was four seconds away from taking first place in the under 17 women as she finished second in a time of 16:07, with Emma Bond (13th, 18:08) and Katy Clubb (21st, 18:43) helping keep R&N at the top of the pile, though their lead is down to a narrow 26 points.
Perry Park, Birmingham, will host the final round of the series on February 9th, with R&N heading in to that fixture leading the overall team standings by a massive 3,793 points.
