Tavistock Athletic Club competed in the penultimate Westward League Cross Country fixture of their season last Sunday.
Setting off from Tavistock in torrential rain, all athletes and spectators were very relieved that the skies had cleared by the time they arrived in Redruth. However, the rain had made the course incredibly muddy. Combined with steep hills this made for some tough races!
The under-11s raced first. Zoe Bigham won. This was her third victory of the season and consequently she has won the league with one race to spare. Congratulations Zoe!
Next were the senior ladies. TAC teams (both seniors and veterans) were second going into this fixture. Led home by Charlotte Walker, closely followed by Nikki Kelly and backed up by some fast and determined teammates, the ladies did all they could to retain these positions against some very good Cornish teams.
One of the highlights of the season for TAC has been the number of under-13 girls who have been racing. They were again able to field two complete teams. The girls have run well all year and support each other magnificently.
Praise should also go to Connor and Noah who were the sole TAC runners in their races. Both have run in all five Westward League races this year and with their commitment will undoubtedly continue to improve.
A good debut by Ian Duffin and another excellent run by Martin Exley-Deane were the highlights for the TAC men’s team.
The final fixture of the season is at Plymouth on Sunday, February 27. The under-13 girls and both ladies’ teams will be hoping to retain their second place league positions. Individuals will also be attempting to win medals in their age categories. Most athletes will also be hoping for a drier and less muddy course!
Results:
Under-11s: Zoe Bigham 4th (1st girl), Tristan Bigham 13th, Eloise Patrick 15th, Kaiden Phillips 17th
Under-13 girls: Anya McAulay 6th, Nell Maguire 10th, Claudia Jones 11th, Evie Palmer 13th, Tamsyn Reid 16th, Tamzin Jarman 18th
Under-13 boys: Connor Duffin 13th, Under 15 boys, Noah Reid 8th
Senior women and under-17s (combined race): Charlotte Walker 15th, Nikki Kelly 17th, Jenny Jeeves 33rd, Hannah Walker 40th, Tilly McDowell 44th, Helen Kula-Przezwanski 61st, Nicky Maguire 62nd, Hazel Walker 73rd
Senior men: Martin Exley-Deane 37th, Alistair Peers 49th, Marc Curtis 57th, Ian Duffin 61st, Dave Harris 64th