The penultimate round of the Oxfordshire Cross Country League took place recently at Cotswold Farm Park. There was a bumper entry of 43 athletes from Bicester AC with good advancement in form from some of the Bicester runners.
After his fine effort at the last fixture, Leo Blyton had narrowed the gap to Finley Byrne, the leader in the under 15 boy standings to one point. Once again Blyton and Byrne dominated proceedings over the 4.5km course. And it was county champion Blyton who again came out on top holding a 20 second advantage over Byrne at the finishing line with a 16mins 30secs clocking. This puts Blyton and Byrne on an equal footing in the standings with just the final fixture at Henley Showground remaining.
For the second consecutive fixture, Bicester had a full complement of 7 scorers in the senior men’s race, which also incorporate the under 20 men’s race. There was something of a return to form for Owen Stocker who led the team home in a fine 13th clocking 30mins 31secs for the 8km course. Stocker was 3rd under 20 male finisher and less than a minute behind the leading under 20 male athlete and was just 5 secs behind the 2nd placed under 20 men’s finisher. Stocker is 2nd in the under 20 men’s standings with one event remaining. He is also 5th in the overall men’s standings, which covers all of the age groups competing in the senior men’s race, with one event remaining. Bicester’s next 4 finishers were also all under 20 and achieved their best Oxfordshire League positions of the season. This was also the first time this season that Bicester had 5 athletes in the top 100 in the senior men’s race. Joshua Moran continued his impressive series of runs in a fine 33rd with 32mins 17secs. Noah Gulvin was next in placing 61st (34mins 23secs). Isaac Moran competed in his first Oxfordshire League event of the season and was 85th in 35mins 48secs. Finlay Kerr achieved his first sub 100 placing of the season in 96th with 36mins 39secs. The team scorers were completed by Paul Jones in 230th (46mins 06secs) and Joshua Bradley in 262nd (52mins 48secs). The team achieved its lowest point score of 774 points of the season, which was the leading division 3 score on the day, and the team have moved up to 4th position in the league standings with one event remaining.
There was a good team performance from the under 9 girls who placed 2nd on the day just two points behind the winning team, which leaves them in equal 2nd in the standings after 4 events. Leading the team home was Dotty Conlon, who was making her club debut, in a fine 4th place clocking 6mins 14secs for the 1.2km circuit. Ivy Balch has put together a good series of runs this winter and she was 7th in 6mins 31secs. The teams scorers were completed by Isla Cruikshank who was 8th in 6mins 32secs. Other Bicester AC runners were Layla Hendon in 18th (7mins 11secs), Ruby Maxwell 19th (7mins 28secs) and Ottilie Maclean 20th (8mins 18secs).
Charlie Joiner continued the improvement he has shown throughout the season and produced his best performance of the season in leading the under 13 boy’s team home. Joiner placed in a fine 11th clocking 13mins 02secs for the 3kn circuit. Harry Cruikshank was next in for Bicester in 18th (13mins 47secs) with the team scorers completed by Cameron Waters in 20th (14mins 25secs). Other Bicester placings were Ivan Stocker in 27th (16mins 20secs) and Emeras Mohandes in 28th (18mins 58secs).
Megan Surman has shown good improvement this winter and she again ran strongly in the under 13 girl’s event run on a 3km circuit. Surman was again in the top 10 finishing in 7th place (14mins 07secs) which puts her in 8th place in the league standings with one event remaining. There was not much between Bicester’s other two scorers with Maya Korn placing 25th (16mins 18secs) and Nancy Alcraft 26th (16mins 25secs).
Hannah Parsons finished in the top ten as she led the Bicester under 11 girl’s team placing 10th out of the 48 finishers clocking 7mins 00secs for the 1.5km circuit. Parsons is 8th in the individual standing after 4 events. Olivia Maxwell improved markedly on her previous Oxfordshire League run with her highest placing of the winter in 16th (7mins 20secs). The teams scorers were completed by Evie Button who was 32nd (7mins 49secs). The team lies in 6th place in the team standings after 4 events. Bicester’s other runner Lorelei Whelan showed improvement on her previous efforts this season placing 36th in 8mins 12secs.
Bicester AC had an impressive turnout of 8 athletes out of the 61 runners contesting the under 11 boy’s race run over 1.5km. Charlie Simpson was Bicester’s first finisher placing 17th with 6mins 45secs. He got the better of a closely fought contest with clubmate Barnaby Wilson, who was having his best race of the winter season. Wilson was just one second away in 18th (6mins 46secs). The team of scorers were completed by Bicester debutant Stanley Conlon who finished in 32nd with 7mins 17secs. Other Bicester runners were Lucius Mohandes, who was having one of his best runs of the winter in 35th (7mins 29secs), Theodore Simms who was 46th (7mins 50secs), Samuel Wilson 47th (7mins 50secs), Brendan Kelly 57th (8mins 56secs) and Oliver Kelly 61st (9mins 49secs).
There was a decent turnout for Bicester AC in the under 15 girl’s which was contested over 4.5km. Ella Myers-Finnegan produced a decent looking effort to finish in the top half in 16th (22mins 33secs). There was an improved effort from Emelie Stocker who was 25th in 26mins 22secs. The team scorers were completed by Madison Joiner who was 30th in 27mins 16secs. The team lies in 6th place in the league standings after 4 events. The other Bicester AC runner to compete was Grace Fulcher who was 32nd (29min 06secs).
There were two Bicester AC runners in the senior lady’s race run over 8km. Amy Gould put in another good effort finishing 28th and clocking 39mins 35secs for the 8km course. And there was a welcome return to action for Leanne Stocker who finished 122nd (50mins 15secs). There were also two Bicester AC runners in the under 9 boy’s event run over 1.2km. Alex Kelly managed to reverse placings with club mate Archie Joiner with Kelly managing 6mins 29secs for 21st and Joiner 6mins 32secs for 25th. And there was just the one runner in the under 17 men’s race with Shane Brine taking 18th clocking 26mins 15secs for the 6km course.