Six athletes from Thetford Athletics Club took part in the South of England Cross Country Cham
pionships at Stanmer Park in Brighton and were not only tested against the best young athletes across the So
uthern Counties but were also tested against a challenging course which was both extremely soft underfoot after much rain and also undulating.
The Under 15s fielded a full squad with four athletes required to register a ‘team’ score. Aiden Try was the first of the four Thetford athletes to complete the course, making it home in 91st position out of the 232 athletes taking part with a time of 16.58min. Harley Swan followed in 111th place in a time of 17.16. Kian Statham finished in 153rd spot and completed the course in 17.57 whilst Charlie Stone came home in 18.29 for 184th place. The Thetford team scored 539 points and finished in joint 29th place with Chichester Runners out of 35 teams who managed to field complete teams. Tonbridge Athletics Club won the team event in the U15s category with their athlete J. Puxty the individual winner of the race with a time of 15.04min.
Joe Smythe was Thetford’s sole athlete in the U13 boys raced where he finished a highly creditable 38th position out of 227 competitors with a time of 11.09min. Oscar Millard of Herne Hill Harriers won the race in a time of 10.19.
Thetford only female competitor of the day was Jessica Norkett who continued her excellent progress with a 148th place finish out of 247 athletes taking part in the U13 girls category. Norkett completed the course in 13.13min with Kirsten Stilwell of Wycombe AC the race winner in a time of 11.14.
Elsewhere, it was a trio of bronze medals for Thetford’s athletes at the annual Keith Ward Indoor Track and Field Competition in Kings Lynn. Ben Garrod in the U13 long jump, Abigail Clouston in the U11 60m sprint and Tom Kirton in the Senior Men’s 60m sprint all achieved third place finishes.
