Ten Beverley Athletic Club athletes represented Humberside last Saturday in the McCain UK Cross Challenge Final at Cofton Park in Birmingham. The televised meeting included the IAAF World Cross-Country Trials at senior and under-20 level and the UK Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships.
Competing against the best cross-country athletes in the country, all Beverley runners were thrilled to have been selected for such a prestigious meeting. With over 250 runners in every race and hundreds of cheering supporters, it was a brilliant experience for all involved.
Beverley Athletic Club Juniors’ coaches Neil and Rona Sergeant were very proud to have 9 of their protégés selected to run in the yellow Humberside vest. “All the juniors have worked hard to achieve selection,” commented Neil “and I’m really pleased with their performances against the top cross-country runners in the UK.”
Peter McGill was the best placed Beverley Junior. In the under-15 boys’ race he completed the 4.5 km course in 16.04 and in 77th position out of almost three hundred runners. He was the second finisher for Humberside, helping his team to 31st position out of 41 teams.
Andrew Harding was also a key team player. In the under-17 men’s race his team finished 20th out of 40 teams.
In the under-17 women’s race Kendall Arnott finished the 5 km course in 24.58 and was the fourth counter in the Humberside team which finished in 38th position out of 39 teams.
Helen Storr was the only Beverley Athletic Club senior to be selected for Humberside and was the county’s sole representative in the senior ladies’ competition. “It was a fantastic day and one of the best experiences of my life,” enthused Helen afterwards, “I was really proud to run in a Humberside vest.”
Beverley Athletic Club finishing times:
Under-13 boys – 3 km – 296 finishers
Ethan Dalton 12.13
Under-13 girls – 3 km – 306 finishers
Dayna Arnott 13.52; Jessica Chapman 13.54; Kelly Dawson 14.26.
Under-15 boys – 4.5 km – 298 finishers
Peter McGill 16.04
Under-15 girls – 4 km – 297 finishers
Nicole Dawson
Under-17 men – 6 km – 262 finishers
Andrew Harding 21.12
Under-17 women – 5 km – 266 finishers
Kendall Arnott 24.58
Under-20 men – 8 km – 193 finishers
Corey Arnott 34.42
Senior women – 8 km – 266 finishers
Helen Storr 38.53
Photos by Mark Dalton of Beverley Athletic Club, Reported by Kay Farrow
Ethan Dalton – centre, yellow vest, in the under-13 boys’ race
Helen Storr in the senior women’s race
