College puts together strong squad

Goodall, 16, has been at the forefront of Sussex middle-distance running for several years and has just completed her finest track season so far.

Goodall won the Sussex and South of England titles, the All England Intermediate 800 metres title and the International Schools event, while a month later she showed she is a true champion by taking the A.A.A's under-17 800 metres title.

Goodall finished the season unbeaten over 800 metres in her age group and at the top of the ranking lists with her time of 2min. 09.14sec.

'I'm now training six days a week and am looking forward to running for the college,' she said. 'I will be looking to do a full cross-country season, starting with the Sussex League at Goodwood on Saturday, and I may run indoors in the A.A.A. under-20 championships in the new year.'

Goodall is not the only Sussex athletic champion to join the college line-up this term.

Monica Walton, from Hastings, the Sussex and Sussex School's 300 metres hurdles champion, has enrolled and is joined by fellow Hastings athlete Kerri Morgan, who was runner-up in the Sussex flat 300 metres and bronze medallist at county schools level.

Lewes athletes Natasha Collins and Emily Woodall will give good support in middle distance and cross-country events.

All will still be competing in the under-17 age group this season except in schools competition, in which they will compete as seniors (under-19).

County under-17 hammer champion Catherine Waite, who has made a major improvement this past season, has also started studies at the Downs College along with the former Sussex and Sussex School's under-15 high jump champion Melanie Davies.

Davies made a major impact on high jumping in Sussex in 2003 as an under-15 high jumper but has been dogged by injury.

In contrast to the girls the college has lost two of its star boy performers who dominated last year's college cross-country events, Stephen Jules and Joe Isherwood.

Jules is now too old for this season's competitions, but younger brother Lee, who was runner-up in both the county under-17 and county schools's senior cross-country championships last winter, is still a student.

Isherwood, who dominated the under-17 age group in Sussex at the end of 2004 but went a little off the boil after Christmas, has moved to Southend.

Both Chris Johnson, who has had an excellent track season and started the cross-country term in good form with a good run at Goodwood in the county relay championships, and Dan Stepney still make it a pretty formidable team for Sussex Downs but they will need to find an able fourth runner for the Area and National College Championships.

How fit these athletes currently are will be revealed tomorrow when the first of the season's Sussex Cross-Country League events is being held at Goodwood Racecourse.