There were several standout individual and team performances from Bury athletes at the second Red Rose Cross Country League fixture last Saturday, writes Mark Granby.
Townley Park in Burnley was the host venue and runners were treated to some sunshine as they competed.
The senior ladies race saw a brilliant one-two for Bury, with Sinead Taylor recording an excellent victory and Abigail Warburton in second. With Alia Braithwaite in fifth and Rachel Marshall in ninth, the scoring quartet secured 17 points giving the team a clear victory. The other Bury finishers were Rose Johnson (12th), Harriet Griffiths (15th), Niamh Starrs (26th), Natalie Cusack (47th), Susan Wheeldon-Gorst (49th), Fran James (64th), Bev McAuley (65th), Afroditi Kalambouka (82nd) and Sarah Withers (101st).
Ethan Statham produced another winning performance in the Under-13 boys’ race, once again showing the rest of the field a clean pair of heels and tightening his grip on the league title. Chester Theakstone made his debut for the club, placing 19th, and it would be good to see more U13 boys competing to have a full team. The U11 girls ran out as clear team winners - the scoring trio of Isla Taylor, Niamh Murray and Mylah Collier running superbly to place third, sixth and ninth respectively. The other competitors were Sophie Straffon-Finch (12th), Myla Bryan (14th), Honey Long (27th), Isabella Sharman (28th), Jasmine Brisbane (32nd) and Maya Akram (34th).
The senior men’s team took second place. The six counters were Martin Clark, who ran strongly to place second, Joshau Cole in ninth, Luke Harreld (24th), Conor Wilkinson (28th), Robert Weston (33rd) and Declan Tattersall (37th). Bury’s other finishers were Ed Hunt (46th), Patrick Babb (50th), Paul Marshall (56th), Matt Finch (69th), Curtis Simpson (71st), Ian Warrington (74th), Joseph Hornsby (79th), Anthony Hallahan(88th) and Michael Starrs (128th).
The U13 girls’ trio of Lucy Dent, Lydia Worsley and Coco-Lily Honor took third team place, finishing fourth, 14th and 19th, respectively. The U11 boys’ team placed fifth - the competitors being Max Worsley (12th), Seb Hunt (20th), Scott Cullen (23rd), Leo Collins (31st), Hamish Simpson (37th), Ronan Parker (40th) and Rowan Theakstone (50th).
The U13 girls’ team placed sixth - the trio of Ella Straffon-Finch, Darcie Collins and Lois Green finishing 16th, 25th and 29th, respectively.
Danila Taylor was the club’s sole competitor in the U15 boys’ race, taking 16th, while in the U17 men’s race Taylor Warburton and Oscar Armstrong ran well to place sixth and 19th.
The third league fixture will be at Liverpool on November 23 and will combine with the British Cross challenge to bring together the top cross-country runners in the UK.
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