Match Report, By Des Webb

Team Southampton athletes had some fine performances at the weekend at the Southern Cross Country Championships at Bicton Park near Exmouth. A small but select group of runners performed well both individually and from a team perspective on the day.

The best individual club performance of the day came in the U15 girls race when Louise Webb showed a return to the cross country form of last season when she was runner up in her age group. Webb ran a clever tactical race starting off steadily and then picking her way through the field to silver place position by the end of the 4km course, and placing her behind reigning national and schools champion Charlotte Purdue from Aldershot who won on the day in a field of over 100 runners from across the South.

In the U20 mens race John Beattie continued the successful form he showed at the Hampshire championships earlier in the month (where he came 4th) when he took a very creditable 7th place finish on this tough undulating course.

In the 15 Boys race the team finished in 7th place despite missing a number of their usual runners. Jamie Knapp again led the team home, this time in 11th place and Peter Batten (44th) Chris Dennis (71st) and Calum Stewart (76th) ran very well to make up the other scoring places.

In the U17 womens race it was a question of nearly to be ..as if the team had had a fourth scoring runner they'd almost certainly have taken a medal place. Becki Gough (14th), Hayley Pointer (17th) and Catriona Witcombe (21st) all ran extremely well over the 5km course idoing themselves real credit on the day.

Scott Gallant also ran well in the biting winds and blustery conditions that were in evidence on the day to come in 81st place in a large U17 boys field.

The club will hopefully continue to perform well at the last hampshire league fixture at Hamworthy on 11th Feb, and then will be aiming to send full teams to the National cross country championships at Parliament Hill on the 25th February.

Please Note:
These results are based on information sent to me. Any problems with names / times / positions then e-mail teamsouthampton@hotmail.com