Big County Championship medals haul for Mansfield Harriers

Conditions were tough with the adverse weather conditions resulting in the course being particularly heavy and muddy.

But the whole team well and truly delivered male and female from the youngest age group to senior level as the club amassed medals and put in a string of great performances with numerous athletes selected to run for the county in the Inter-County Championship.

Leading the way were the U13 girls, Lily Mason put in a commanding performance to take an individual win, with Maisy Slack continuing her fine recent run of form to take the bronze medal.

Amelia Arbon placed sixth, Freya Martin 13th and Libby Cooper 15th and, with three to score for the team event, Lily, Maisy and Amelia comfortably won the team title.

The U13 boys also had great success with Eddie Lowe taking the individual title with fantastic packing from Harry Woodcock, fifth, Dan Adams, seventh, James Harris, ninth, Oliver McClemens, 11th and Charlie Taylor, 15th which saw another team title come to Mansfield through Eddie, Harry, and Dan.

Tremendous team packing had the U15 girls come away with two team medals as Zoe Spencer, fourth, Freya Longmead, seventh, and Isabel Westwood, eighth, took the gold and Jemima Waller, 11th, Martha Yanney, 12th and Ella Kennedy, 14th took team bronze.

Not to be outdone although only three athletes were available on the day the U15 boys also took team gold with Eddie Holden having his best run of the winter to take silver, Ed Holden taking bronze and Will Sankey sixth.

The youngest age group was another that gave impressive results for the team with the U11 girls taking team gold and the U11 boys taking a team bronze.

The ever consistent Charley Whysall took an individual bronze and continuing the story of the day great team packing with Isla Jones, sixth, Olivia Wright, eighth, Myannie Westwood, ninth, and Charlotte Marshall 14th.

For the boys Mihnea Radu placed 12th but unfortunately missed the start of the race and could have seen a top six finish with Owen Pilmore, 15th and Xander Arbon,17th.

The U17 age groups had only three athletes in each race with athletes missing due to illness or injury.

However, the boys took team silver and the girls team bronze.

Jake Greenhalgh had a great run to take an individual silver as well with Sam Wilkinson, ninth and Harry Wilkinson, 10th.

Grace Manson had one of her strongest runs of the winter to take an individual bronze medal supported by Olivia Barrett in 10th and Elizabeth Sinclair in 13th.

Sophie Toyn ran in the Derbyshire event on the same course and had her best run this winter for ninth place.

The senior ladies enjoyed immense success taking team bronze in the senior event, team gold in the masters and Maddy Collinge took silver in the masters 65 age group.

The masters team scorers were Kirsty Huntington, 10th, Christina Dinescu, 11th and Helen Jones, 17th with the senior scorers Alice Mortiboy, 16th, Jade Bacon, 25th and Claire Croll, 33rd.

Completing the clubs’ athletes Helen Pritchett placed 28th, Sharon Armitage 39th and Sarah Bradbury 41st.

The men just missed out on team medals and in two competitive competitions the men placed fourth and the Masters fifth with Dan Nugent’s 15th place good enough for silver in the Masters 45 age group. Ben Burnham was first man back with a fine eighth place, well supported by a great team turnout with Jordan Boam,16th, Sam Bentley, 23rd, Steve Capewell, 55th, Chris Monk, 57th, Phil Shaw, 58th, Neil Kennedy 72nd, Andy Wetherill, 201st, Jason Taylor, 104th, Fraser Bain, 106th, Neil Halstead, 112th and Rob Smith, 114th.