Bicester AC had 14 runners competing at the recently held 4th round Chiltern Cross Country League fixture held at Cassiobury Park in Watford. It was a successful meet for Bicester with three of their number making the top 3 division 2 race positions in their respective age categories.
Bracknell AC’s Elliott Langley-Aybar once again dominated the under 15 boy’s race but Bicester AC’s Leo Blyton again ran excellently to finish 3rd in the mob race out of 79 finishers. Although this was the first time this season he had finished out of the top 2 in the mob race, Blyton was still 2nd division 2 finisher and retains his overall 2nd place in the division 2 standings with one event remaining. Blyton clocked 15mins 12secs for the approximate 4.5km course. Emeras Mohandes was Bicester’s other finisher in 76th (22mins 01sec).
Anna Jolliffe, competing in her first Chiltern League event of the season, ran strongly for 9th place in the under 17/20 women’s mob race which had 54 finishers. She was first finisher in the division 2 race clocking 18mins 51secs over the approximate 5km course. Kate O’ Malley was competing in her first cross country event of the season and finished in 47th (22mins 57sec) with the team finishing 2nd on the day. In the men’s under 17 event Erlgean Appiahkorang-Mensah contested his first Chiltern League event of the season and finished 37th clocking 21mins 24secs for the approximate 5.5km circuit.
Owen Stocker produced another excellent finish in the senior men’s race. A total of 366 runners contested the senior men’s race run over an approximate 10km course. Stocker was 22nd finisher in the mob race and 5th division 2 finisher. He was 2nd under 20 division 2 finisher leaving him in 2nd place in the individual under 20 men’s standings with one event to go. Igor Slawik is putting a consistent run of performances together and he finished 253rd in 47 mins 54secs. Stocker and Slawik were 2nd division under 20 men’s team and Bicester’s under 20 men’s team lead the standings with one event remaining. Bicester’s other finisher was Joshua Bradley who was 356th (58mins 15secs).
Megan Surman continues to perform well in the under 15 girl’s category and she finished in 30th place out of the 61 finishers clocking 20mins 45secs for the approximate 4.5km course. Emily Benfield produced her best Chiltern League performance of the season placing 151st out of 242 finishers in the senior lady’s mob race. Benfield clocked 28mins 20secs for the 6km approximate course and made the top half of division 2 finishers placing 35th out of the 82 finishers.
Thomas Richards continues to perform well in his first season of competitive cross country season. In the under 11 boy’s race contested over an approximate 1.7km Richards finished 29th out of 76 finishers clocking 6mins 49secs. Bicester also had two finishers in the under 11 girl’s race contested over the same distance. There was not much between them with Ivy Balch finishing 36th (7mins 48secs) and Eva Brunt 10 seconds behind in 38th (7mins 58secs).