BRISTOL & West AC runners Annabel Gummow and Eleanor Wimshurst have both run themselves into contention for a place in the Great Britain team for the World Cross Country Championships in Poland.
Gummow, still only 16, ran brilliantly to finish runner-up in the Under 20 women’s race to all but guarantee her place in the team for the championships on March 28th.
“They have said the to three will be automatically selected so I’m thrilled with that,” said Gummow, who recovered well after taking a fall early on.
Wimshurst had to hurdle the stricken Gummow and the 18-year-old went on to finish a very creditable sixth in Birmingham’s Cofton Park.
“I was very pleased with my result but potentially I think I could be named as a reserve because the girl I just beat on a sprint finish, Kate Avery, has been so consistent his season,” said Wimshurst.
“To be honest I was aiming for a top 12 finish on Saturday.”
To complete a good day Wismhurst also led the Avon & Somerset squad to the bronze team medals with support from Hannah Alderson, who finished a very encouraging 15th, Alice Carpenter and Hannah Taunton.
The race proved to be the most successful of the day for the joint Avon & Somerset squad with an under-strength team struggling to make an impression in one of the most competitive events on the winter calendar.
Individually the only other top ten place was earned by in-form Zak Tobias. The winner of the February Easy Runner athlete competition again showed what an improved runner he has been this winter under the guidance of Dave Bedwell with eighth place in the Under 15 boys’ race. Luke Jacobs also ran solidly for 40th.
Bristol & West international Claire Hallissey was in the colours of her home county Hertfordshire on Saturday and she delivered yet another consistent performance with 10th place.
After his sixth place in the National Bristol & West’s Tom Russell had hopes of another top ten finish but he struggled on the fast going and had to settle for 32nd with his clubmate Robbie Bugden, who was leading the Cornish team, the top local runner in 20th.
Brett Halliwell had his best ever run in the Inter Counties with 32nd place in the Under 17 men’s race while Naomi Speake enjoyed her best run of the winter to finish 14th in the Under 17 women’s event.
RESULTS
McCain Cross Challenge Final incorporating the world cross country trials, Cofton park, Birmingham – senior men: 1 Mo Farah NEB) 34:41; 2 Andy Vernon (AFD) 35:25; 3 Moumin Geele (NEB) 35:40.
LOCAL: 20 Robbie Bugden (C ) 36:49; 30 Owain Jones (AS) 37:15; 32 Tom Russell (G) 37:16; 82 Tom Merson (D) 38;40; 199 Mark Hopkinson (AS) 41:20.
U20 men: 1 Richard Goodman (Middx) 25:04; 2 Ben Norris (Notts) 25:06; 3 Calum Hawkins (Scotland) 25:26.
LOCAL: 22 Charlie Maclean (AS) 26:47; 54 Sean Hazel (AS) 27:38; 63 Gregg Halliwell (AS) 27:58.
Under 17 men: 1 Ross Matheson (Scot) 18:33; 2 Ian Bailey (Surrey) 18:43; 3 Ben Connor (Derbys) 18:45.
LOCAL: 32 Brett Halliwell (AS) 19:51; 106 Adam Speake (AS) 20:49.
U15 boys: 1 James McMurray (Herts) 14:55; 2 Finlay Rae (Scot) 14:56; 3 Mike McKeown (Warwicks) 15:03.
LOCAL: 8 Zak Tobias (AS) 15:22; 40 Luke Jacobs (AS) 15:46; 123 Cameron Coetzee (AS) 16:23; 163 Ben Millar (AS) 16:39.
U13 boys: 1 Tom Holden (Surrey) 10:22; 2 Christian vov Eitzen (Oxon) 10:23; 3 Merhawi Tesfaloet (Surrey) 10:24.
LOCAL: 38 Charlie Martin (AS) 11:01; 102 Luke Reynolds (AS) 11:24; 106 James Skelton (AS) 11:25; 134 Kody Mortimer (AS) 11:33; 191 Luke Prior (AS) 11:55.
Senior women: 1 Freya Murray (Edinburgh) 27:21; 2 Steph Twell (AFD) 27:30; 3 Faye Fullerton (Havering) 27:41; 4 Hannah Whitmore 27:47; 5 Emily Pidgeon (Stroud) 27:54; 6 Laura Kenney 28:04.
LOCAL: 12 Claire Hallissey (Herts) 28:30; 14 Naomi Taschimowitz (AS) 28:33; 19 Rebekah Randall (AS) 29:06; 24 Laura Parker (AS) 29:36; 34 Laura Parsonage (AS) 29:55; 134 Jenny Moore (AS) 32:46.
Under 20 women: 1 Emilia Gorecka (AFD) 20:40; 2 Annabel Gummow (B&W) 20:53; 3 Hanna Walker (Dacorum) 21:00; 4 Sarah Inglis 21:04; 5 Beth Potter 21:05; 6 Eleanor Wimshurst (B&W) 21:13.
LOCAL: 15 Hannah Alderson (AS) 22:22; 45 Alice Carpenter (AS) 23:53; 74 Hannah Taunton (AS) 25:23.
Teams; 1 Surrey 40; 2 Lancashire 87; 3 Avon & Somerset 140 (6,15, 45,74)
Under 17 women: 1 Kate Holt (Staffs) 19:00; 2 Emily Wallbank (Beds) 19:01; 3 Mel Wood (Bucks) 19:20; 4 Melissa Courtney (Do) 19:27.
LOCAL: 14 Naomi Speake (AS) 19:56; 31 Aoife Thorogood (AS) 20:24.
Under 15 girls: 1 Jessica Judd (Essex) 14:52; 2 Rebecca Knapton (Hants) 15:11; 3 Susan Rankin (Surrey) 15:14.
LOCAL: 195 Harriet Rogers (AS) 17;48; 223 Rosie Parsons (AS) 18:10; 263 Iris Mcneil (AS) 18;49.
Under 13 girls; 1 Katie Howe (Hants) 11:19; 2 Georgia Tuckfield (Essex) 11:20; 3 Grace Cook (Sussex) 11:26.
LOCAL: 39 Holly Brown (AS) 11:56; 132 Poppy Thompson (AS) 12:31; 143 Abigail Gibbons (AS) 12;37; 145 Katie Grinyer (AS) 12;37; 164 Angharad Flower (AS) 12;44; 196 Yasmin Bailey (AS) 12;56.