Ilford
AC
completed
their
Essex
Cross
Country
League
with the
5th and
final
fixture
held at
Hilly
Fields
Nature
Reserve
Colchester
last
Saturday. The
club
came
away
with 3
medals
for
overall
performances
in the
League
with 69
year old
Pam
Jones
the pick
of the
crop
taking
gold in
the
women's
over 55
section.
Bree
Nordin
finished
with a
silver
as
runner
up to
Colchester's
Lynne
Higgs in
the
women's
over 45
and
Malcolm
Muir
secured
a bronze
medal in
the
Senior
men's.
In the
Senior
Men's
race
numbers
were
slightly
down on
9.7k
undulating
course
which
served
up a "bit
of
everything"
on the
cross
country
menu -
climbs
and
descents,
tracks,
mud,
woods
and open
fields.
Malcolm
Muir led
the club
home for
the 4th
time out
of the 5
fixtures
finishing in
8th
place in
a time
of
32minutes
and 34
seconds.
Matt
Maple
demonstrated
he has
lost
little
fitness
during
an
injury
enforced
lay-off
returned
with a
fine
44th
placing
in
36minutes
42
seconds.
Andy
Catton
(66th)
and
Martin
Clarke
(69th)
battled each
other
throughout
the 3
laps with
Catton
once
again
coming
out on
top
recording
39.18 to
Clarke's
39.27.
Henry
Ricketts
(89th)
43.18
and
Graham
Williams(102nd)
46.08
completed
the 6
scorers
for the
team.
For the
first
time
this
season
the Ilford Ladies
failed
to close
a team
due to
illness
and
injuries.
Nevertheless
3 club
stalwarts
battled
bravely
to
represent
the club
over 2
laps
(6.5k)
of the
same
course. Bree
Nordin
ran
well to
defeat
her
rival
Lynne
Tanner
of
Colchester
and
finished
in 20th
place in
25
minutes
and 3
seconds.
Sally Gillam
was next
home,
38th in
29.36,
followed
by Pam
Jones
40th in
30.24.
In the
junior
races there
were some
good
performances
and club
debuts
at x
country.
In the
U-13 G
Aimee
Jones
finished
30th in
14.05 in
the
U-15G
four
athletes
took
part to
have our
1st team
finish
coming
in 3rd
overall,
1st home
was
Lydia
Hall
finishing
in 13th
in a
time of
17.56
followed
by
Madeline
Thompson
in 18.50
in 19th
completing
the team
was 2
debutant
with
sprinter Fionnala
Crowe
finishing
26th in
24.05
followed
by
Laureen
Tipple
in 26.19
in 27th,
in the
U-13 B
Alex
Richards
finished
well in
13th in
11.32
and Liam
Leddy
competing
for the
last
time in
this age
group in
27th in
a time
of
12.06.
On new
years
day
Lydia
Hall ran
a 3k
race at
Hyde
Park
finishing
in 11th
overall
and 1st
FU17
home in
a very
good
time of
14.21
Ilford
AC will
continue
their
busy
schedule
when
they
return
to the
same
venue in
two
weeks
time to
compete
in the
County
Cross
Country
relay
championships
which
follow next
week's
Essex
senior
xc
championships
at
Claybury.
