There was a good Bicester AC turnout for the recently held round 1 Oxfordshire Cross Country League fixture held at Cornbury. There were 34 Bicester AC athletes in total and some of their number produced some standout performances.
Bicester AC’s senior team were short of some of their top performers as many of this group have gone off to university, but the team included Owen Stocker who was Bicester’s top senior men’s performer from last year. The course had been altered from previous versions and measured at 7.9km but the severity of the course remained. In the senior men’s race Stocker did not disappoint as he jousted with the front runners in a 316 strong field. He finished a superb 7th clocking 30mins 46secs. Stocker was 4th in what was a quality under 20 men’s race, run in conjunction with the senior race. He was exactly a minute a down on the first placed under 20 finisher and just 23secs being the under 20 men’s runner up. Further down the field Bicester was able to complete a full complement of scorers. The team comprised 4 athletes making their Oxfordshire Cross Country League debut. And it was one of those who was 2nd Bicester finisher with Joseph Whelan making his competitive athletics debut and doing extremely well to finish in 203rd (43mins 15secs). There was a good scrap for next Bicester finisher with Robson Matthews, swapping the sprints and jumps of the track, to finish his first ever cross country race in 230th (45mins 05secs). He was two seconds in front of Igor Slawik, who was having only his 2nd ever competitive race, and running well for 231st (45mins 07secs). Robert Parsons, making his Bicester AC competitive debut was next in ducking under the 50 minute barriers for 272nd (49mins 24secs). He finished just ahead of Paul Jones who also ducked under the 50 minute barrier in 273rd (49mins 29secs). The Bicester scorers were completed by Joshua Bradley, who matched his recent improvement in form in road races, with one of his best efforts on the country placing 294th (52mins 08secs).
Alexander Collins made a scintillating cross country debut placing 4th in the 38 strong under 15 boy’s race contested over 4.5km. Collins clocked 17mins 16secs. He was just over a minute behind the winner and just 9secs behind the 3rd placed athlete. Bicester had three further scorers with Harry Cruickshank, having his first cross country run in an older age group, finishing 26th (20mins 10secs). The Bicester scorers were completed by Theodore Cogan, who put in his best ever performance over the country placing 30th (20mins 27secs). The team finished 6th. As with Cruickshank, Cameron Waters was having his first cross country run in the under 15 age group and he was 33rd in 21mins 34secs.
Charlie Joiner put in a superb performance in what was a hotly contested under 13 boy’s race run over 3km. Joiner achieved his best ever Oxfordshire League placing finishing 5th with an 11mins 50secs clocking. Charlie Simpson contested his first under 13 cross country race and did well to place in the top half of finishers finishing 19th (13mins 05secs). The Bicester A team scorers were completed by Ralf Sprogis, who was making his Bicester debut, and he finished 29th (14mins 02secs). The team finished 5th. Stanley Conlon led home the Bicester AC B teams scorers in 35th (14mins 53secs) with Lucius Mohandes 40th (15mins 08secs) and Ivan Stocker 44th (16mins 06secs).
Zach Ryan made an eye catching debut in the under 11 boy’s contested over 1.5km. Ryan placed a superb 11th in what was a monster field of 66 runners clocking 6mins 18secs. Next in was Thomas Richards who was 24th clocking 6mins 31secs. And Bicester had a third athlete making the top half of finishers in Theodore Simms who was 26th (6mins 35secs). The Bicester team finished 8th. Other Bicester finishers were Alex Kelly in 48th (7mins 14secs) and Archie Joiner in 50th (7mins 16secs).
Bicester had 4 athletes in the under 15 girl’s race run over 4.5km. Megan Surman was having her first Oxfordshire League Cross Country race as an under 15 and did well to make the top half of finishers in 15th (21mins 36secs). Maya Korn was having her first cross country run as an under 15 and ran creditably to finish 23rd (23mins 40secs). The team scorers were completed by Emelie Stocker, who produced one of her best cross country performances in finishing 29th (25mins 47secs). The team finished 7th. Bicester’s other finisher was Madison Joiner who was 33rd in 28mins 03secs.
Bicester had 4 competitors in the under 11 girl’s run over a 1.5km circuit. It was a photo finish between Ivy Balch and Dotty Conlon with both credited with the same time of 7mins 21secs but Balch was given the verdict placing 27th with Conlon 28th. Not too far behind these two was Eva Brunt who made up the team scorers in 31st (7misn 27secs). The team finished 10th. Bicester’s other finisher was Lorelei Whelan in 42nd place (7mins 49secs).
George Hart was Bicester’s sole runner in the 6km under 17 men’s race. Hart did well to make the top half of finishers in 11th (23mins 54secs). In the corresponding race run over the same distance Ella Myers-Finnegan, who was contesting her first under 17 cross country, finished in 14th place (32mins 56secs). Hannah Parson who was contesting her first under 13 girl’s cross country race did well to make the top half of finishers in 17th clocking 14mins 46secs for the 3km distance. And Emily Benfield competed in the 7.9km senior ladies event and finished 170th in 56mins 26secs.