Hastings AC triumphs at county championships

Grace Baker (blue vest) and Emma Macready (green vest) battle it out at the head of the senior/under-20 women's race. Picture by Simon Newstead (SUS-161001-232324002)

The local club claimed team glory in the under-17, under-15 and under-13 girls’ events at a muddy Bexhill Down on Saturday.

Hastings AC, who did so well to put on an excellent event, won the under-17 prize with 17 points to second-placed Horsham’s 26.

In the under-15s, Hastings AC scored 22 points to Horsham’s 24 and Brighton & Hove’s 32, while in the under-13s, they totalled 20 to Brighton Phoenix’s 22 and Brighton & Hove’s 32.

Hastings AC very nearly clinched a fourth team title in the under-13 boys’ event. Their total of 31 points was matched by Lewes, who took the honours as their third runner finished 15th compared to Hastings’ 21st.

The club’s success in the team events was achieved off the back of some splendid individual performances.

Ellen Crombie repeated her victory in the last Sussex Cross-Country League race with a classy win in the under-15 girls’ event in 14:51. Harmony Cooper was a very good sixth in 15:29 and Kiera Aslett was 15th in 16:56.

Maya Ramnarine was a close second in the under-13 girls’ event, finishing just two seconds adrift of winner Bethany Cook (Bodyworks) in 12:30. Erika Body had a blinder to come eighth in 13:06 and Amalie Primdal was 10th in 13:22.

Ellen Crombie wins the under-15 girls' event. Picture courtesy Terry Skelton

Isaac Elam came third in the under-13 boys’ event in 11:45 despite battling a hamstring niggle, with James Crombie seventh in 12:08 and Carlos Nieto 21st.

The under-17 girls’ success was a real collective effort. Becky Smart was fourth in 23:16, Josephine Edmonds sixth in 23:23 and Ellen Brooker seventh in 23:47.

There was further individual glory for Hastings AC in the senior/under-20 women’s race, which brought the action on a breezy and sometimes showery day to a close.

Great Britain junior international Grace Baker, who runs second claim for Hastings AC, repeated her 2015 victory over Worthing’s Emma Macready.

Baker - competing in the under-20 race - crossed the line 35 seconds clear of her rival - competing in the senior women’s event - with a time of 24:54, but both took gold medals. Sophie Markwick was the eighth under-20 runner in 31:48.

James Mountford produced an excellent run to finish fourth in the senior men’s race with a time of 41:14. Rhys Boorman also ran well to come 10th in 42:13, with Gary Foster 19th and Stuart Piper 24th.

At the start of the day, Jonas Judah came second in the under-11 boys’ race in 6:40 after leading for most of the race. The talented Isaiah Wilson was fifth in 6:54.

George Pool came fifth in the under-15 boys’ race in 16:04, with Marcus Ramnarine 10th and Ryan Morrissy 20th.

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