CROSS COUNTRY: Club secure their place in Division One for seventh year

Birmingham Cross Country League Division One, Wolverhampton

Dominic Jones achieved a top five place, as Rugby & Northampton AC assured their place for next year in Division One of the Men’s Birmingham Cross Country League for the seventh consecutive year.

Jones, 24, had a terrific run over the 5.3 miles course at Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton on Saturday to finish in a superb fifth place with a time of 29 mins 13 secs in the fourth and final race of the season.

The result placed him fourth overall in the individual standings for best of three races and he also clinched the R&N Senior Men’s Club Championship, which helped the team to finish in ninth on the day and maintain their 12th spot in the final league table from the 16 teams.

Four other members of the scoring six also gained their best ever placings in the league with Alistair McDonnell the next finisher in 55th spot on 31:31 and Junior Ben Musgrove claiming 61st with 31:48.

Top veteran from the club was Stephen Marks in 75th position with 32:11 and he was followed by two personal best runs from Dean Oldfield (139th in 34:25) and Joe Childs (142nd in 34:30).

The B team also finished 9th with Jon Taylor recording 34:31 in 143rd place to lead home Nigel Roberts (159th in 35:12), Joe Lantsbery (166th in 35:36), Vince Carroll (192nd in 36:42), Adam Bebbington with a best of 198th in 36:56 and Paul Furness (210th in 37:25).

Completing the 16-man squad were Max Chippington (233rd in 38:32), Terry Egan (246th in 39:30), Adrian White (276th in 41:40) and Adrian Reast (279th in 42:45).

At the same venue the R&N ladies were competing in division one of the Midland Women’s Cross Country League and over a 3.5 mile course Gabriella Moriarty led home the club for her best ever performance in 10th place with a time of 22:40, but it was Bethan Goddard who sealed the Senior Womens club Championship when she was timed at 24:55 for 28th spot.

Lorna Latimer was making a return to competition after giving birth and had a good run to finish 51st on 26:29 and veteran Zoe Shepherd completed the team with 27:05 for 65th place.

Joining her in the Masters team were Tamara Hardman (79th in 27:26) and Alison Cobb (87th in 28:04).

The R&N Veteran Women’s club championship went to Angela Copson BEM who was the only lady from the whole club to complete all four races. She recorded 28:20 in 94th position.

With 13 athletes competing for R&N this was their biggest turnout of the season, but it wasn’t quite enough to maintain their status in division one. The squad was completed by Helen Jones (102nd in 29:27), Minerva Chesser (113th in 30:15), Kate Williams (130th in 31:04), Tilly Lea (145th in 32:32), Efthymia Katsogianni (146th in 32:45) and Krasirmira Raykova (153rd in 33:58).