Cross country success for local runners

Ealing Eagles’ ladies won both the A and B team categories of their latest Sunday League cross country fixture at Grovelands Park, north London.

Taking their largest squad yet – of 21 women and 15 men - to a cross-country fixture paid dividends, with a second place for the ladies masters team leaving the Eagles in the top three across all women’s sections.

Amy Cope-Balchin was fifth woman, completing the five-mile, three-lap circuit in 33.47, six places ahead of Jennifer Watt in 35.15. Nichola Anderson (19th, 35.53), Jen Laughton (21st, 36.32) and Sara Glassman (37.47) completed the A-team’s scoring line-up.

Petrina Gannon, who led by example with a PB as captain, said: “We’re delighted. It’s a fantastic result for us. It was only our seventh cross-country fixture as a team.”

Katya Saville (37th, 38.42), Sue Park (48th, 39.50) and Christine Elliot (65th, 41.30) made up the scoring trio for the B-team.

“There were great performances throughout the squad,” said Petrina. “Teresa Connolly, Roz Kreuger and Tracey Melville put in plucky debut performances in the masters section, so it’s fantastic to see some of our less-experienced runners setting example.”

The Eagles ladies lie second behind Trent Park in both A and B categories, while the masters are in third place.

The men’s A-team – comprising the first eight finishers - continued their steady start with another seventh place out of 18 clubs. Mark Vardy was first Eagle home in fourth (27.52).

Men’s captain Jose Manuel Pabon continued his return from injury by finishing 15th (29.25), with Colin Overton building on his impressive form in 45th (31.24).

The B-team of subsequent five finishers placed sixth on the day, while the masters finished 13th.

Pabon said: “There were good scoring debuts from Dave Stewart and Dean Cox. We’re building our experience all the time but need to get our best line-up out if we’re to follow the women’s example.”

With the men’s A and B teams both lying sixth, and the masters 15th, it left the combined Eagles team in sixth place overall.

The next round – the third of five - is on 8 December at Trent Park.

27th November 2013