The first round of the Oxfordshire Cross Country League took place last Sunday in unseasonally mild conditions at Cornbury Park. Bicester AC had a good turnout of 39 athletes spread across the 12 races. All but the under 11 and senior races were ran as combined male/female races. Bicester enjoyed a total of 6 top ten finishes and there were two outstanding individual performances from Owen Stocker and Leo Blyton.
The last time Bicester AC had a finisher in the top ten of a senior men’s Oxfordshire League cross country was in the early 2000’s. Owen Stocker was having his first run in a senior Oxfordshire Cross Country League event having moved up from the under 17 men’s category. The senior men’s event incorporates several age categories which includes under 20 male which is the category that Stocker has moved into. The senior men’s event attracted a field of over 310 athletes run over a course of 8.2km. Stocker ran superbly finishing 8th with a 29mins 29secs clocking which was less than two minutes behind the winning effort. Stocker also made a strong start in the under 20 men’s category finishing 2nd, just 44 secs behind the winning effort, and ahead of old rival Connor Morgan who pipped him to the under 17 men’s title last year. As a junior club Bicester AC do not provide senior only training sessions yet were able to field six scorers in the men’s race and finished a respectable 26th out of the 46 competing teams. Bicester had two further runners in the top 100 both under 20 males. Joshau Moran ran a strong race for 54th (33mins 20secs) with Noah Gulvin in 80th (34mins 39secs). The team finishers were completed by Paul Jones in 224th (42mins 27secs), cross country debutant Josh Bradley who did well to make the top 300 in 299th (54mins 42secs) and Tom Gould completing the team finishers in 303rd (53mins 36secs).
The younger age groups normally cover a range of two years. This means that athletes who move up to a new age group are competing against older athletes and having to get accustomed to running over a longer distance. Bicester’s Leo Blyton won his first ever Oxfordshire League cross country race at the corresponding meeting last year on his way to taking the under 13 boy’s title. He ran his first cross country race in the under 15 boy’s category over 4.36km. Three runners were away at the head of the field which included Blyton’s main rival from last year, Finley Byrne, and second year under 15 athlete Samuel Nixon Gagg. In the event just five seconds separated them at the finish with Byrne getting the verdict in 16mins 8secs just three seconds faster than Blyton who finished a superb runner up in 16mins 11secs with Nixon Gagg a further two seconds back. Blyton led the Bicester team home in 6th place with Max Finnegan second Bicester finisher in 20th (19mins 33secs) with the team scorers completed by Thomas Perry who was 25th (21mins 12secs). Theodore Cogan was having only his 2nd cross country race and he did well to finish 27th (22mins 50secs).
There was a good sized field of 49 runners in the under 11 girl’s race run over 1.7km. Bicester’s Hannah Parsons achieved her first ever top ten Oxfordshire Cross Country League placing a superb 8th (7mins 20secs). She was well supported by Olivia Maxwell who was 17th (7mins 36secs) with the team scorers completed by Evie Button, who was making her athletics debut, in 31st (8mins 13secs). The team finished 6th. Lorelie Whelan, up in age group, was Bicester’s other finisher in 39th (8mins 32secs).
Harry Cruikshank was having his first cross country run for Bicester and achieved his first top ten Oxfordshire League finishing a superb 9th in the under 13 boy’s race. He was timed at 12mins 02secs for the 2.9km distance. Charlie Joiner was having his first run in the under 13 boy’s category and finished a solid 26th (13mins 03secs) with Cameron Waters completing the Bicester scorers in 31st (14mins 02secs) with the team finishing in 8th. Ivan Stocker was having his first cross country outing as an under 13 and finished 34th (15mins 57secs).
One of Bicester’s strongest team performances on the day was in the under 15 girl’s event. Bicester had 5 runners and the team was led home by Kate O’Malley in 9th place clocking 21mins 09secs for the 4.36km course. Ella Myers Finnegan was not too far behind in 13th (21mins 38secs) with Madison Joiner, making a promising debut, in 25th (26mins 55secs). The team finished in 4th just 2 points off third place. Emelie Stocker, up in age group, ran well for the extra distance to finish 30th in 27mins 53secs. And Grace Fulcher, who was competing in throws and sprints during the Summer, showed her all round athletic ability to finish 33rd (31mins 57secs).
Best Bicester AC team placing of the day was achieved by the under 9 girls. Ivy Balch ran a cracking race on her competitive athletics debut to finish equal 5th clocking 6mins 16secs for the 1.2km distance. She was followed home by Layla Hendon who was 10th (6mins 34secs) with the team scorers completed by Ottilie Maclean in 12th (6mins 49secs) with the team finishing 2nd. Ruby Maxwell had her first taste of cross country and was 14th (6mins 56secs) and the Bicester finishers were completed by April Perry in 15th (7mins 8secs).
Bicester’s senior ladies had just two runners with Amy Gould running superbly for 22nd place clocking 38mins 45secs for the 8.2km circuit. Emily Benfield was Bicester’s other finisher placing 164th (55mins 17secs) with the team placing 34th. Shane Brine, making his competitive athletics debut, was Bicester’s only competitor in the combined under 17 event and produced a solid maiden run for 18th in the under 17 men’s race stopping the clock at 27mins 06secs for the 6km course.
There were just two Bicester competitors in the under 13 girl’s race. Megan Surman made the top half of finishers placing 12th and clocking 13mins 53secs for the 2.9km distance. Maya Korn was Bicester’s other finisher in 20th (15mins 29secs). Archie Joiner was the 3rd member of the Joiner family competing on the day and was making his debut in the under 9 boy’s race finishing 22nd clocking 6mins 18secs for the 1.2km course.
Five Bicester AC athletes contested the under 11 boy’s race with Charlie Simpson making the top third of finishers in 18th clocking 7mins 4secs for the 1.7km course. Barnaby Wilson also made the top half of finishers having his first race for a while and placing 28th (7mins 23secs). Other Bicester finishers were Theodore Simms in 38th (7mins 49secs), Brendan Kelly 57th (9mins 24secs) and Oliver Kelly 60th (10mins 33secs).