Simon Saunders with the BAC lads - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Simon Saunders with the BAC lads from the Under 17 Men’s race

Bournemouth AC‘s 2023 cross-country season got underway with the first Wessex League held at Learoyd Road, Poole this on Sunday 1 October. Every start line was chock-a-block with yellow and blue vests with BAC fielding athletes in every race and teams in almost every age group both male and female. Well done to those athletes who turned up and represented the club in this first outing of a season that lasts into March of 2024!

Team results on the Team Dorset webpage are awaiting update (team placings are on my calculations with *first 4 to score). We had nine podium finishers, over thirty finishers in the top ten, six teams in the top three and four first place teams (TBC). The real success was the turn-out of forty-two BAC athletes, including several new members to the club, representing their club for the first time, in the first of this three race series.

Oscar Newbery - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Oscar Newbery

Hugo Richardson - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Hugo Richardson

Sam Brewer - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Sam Brewer

Oliver Hill - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Oliver Hill

Nathan Mearns - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Nathan Mearns

Well done to Ian Graham and coaches for pushing the entries. To achieve individual and team placings you need to be there to score for you and your club. Please turn up and participate in the next two races prior to the new year and help us perpetuate this success. The second race will be at Bryanston School on the 29th October and the finale is the combined Dorset Championships* and Wessex League race on 17th December. Team selection for Dorset in the UKA Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships held next March in Loughborough is based on Wessex League, Hampshire League and county champs performance.

Race numbers for a significant number of athletes who did not attend but who have been registered by the club are available at the next two league meetings. Come and see us in the BAC team tent when you arrive. The address for the entry to the DCAA XC Champs: https://poolerunningevents.co.uk/events/dorset-county-athletics-association-cross-country-championships-2023/

Congratulations from – Simon Saunders / Simon Hearn / Ian Graham

Chris O'Brien - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Chris O’Brien

Jud Kirk - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Jud Kirk

Geoff Newton - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Geoff Newton

Ian Graham - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Ian Graham

Nikki Whittaker - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Nikki Whittaker

Jola Dewerenda - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Jola Dewerenda

Results:
U11 Boys – 3rd Team 41 points. (5 competitors) Excellent placings from Ben & Ed and great packing from Jake, Ted & Timo. 5th Ben Trimby* 7th Ed Davies* 14th Jake Ryan* 15th Ted Fewings* 16th Timo Green
U11 Girls (2 competitors) After a fast start Mabel only just lost out on 1st place and Erin had a solid run for 14th place. 2nd Mabel Jundi, 14th Erin Ryan U13 Boys – 2nd Team 36 points. (5 competitors) Great individual and team result led home by Austin and Finley with good team packing from Aiden & Seb. Congrats to Callum Pearson in his first race in a BAC vest. 1st Austin Riley* 3rd Finley Hurst-Atkins* 15th Aiden Blagden* 17th Sebastian Wallis* 18th Callum Pearson
U13 Girls – 1st Team 19 points. (5 competitors) Wow! 19 points for 1st place team is excellent running. Four scoring team members plus Jess in the top ten, great running ladies! 3rd Isla May* 4th Imogen Pope* 5th Ellie Taylor* 7th Ava Richmond* 10th Jessica Long
U15 Boys – 1st Team 13 points. (7 competitors) Another Wow! Only one athlete was able to disrupt an almost perfect team performance. Well done Oliver, starting the season as he means to go on, Isaac and Harry both having a great first outing of the series and amazing battle between fourth placer Jack Webb and William Moss. We are happy to have seven BAC athletes pushing each other on to greater things in this age group. 1st Oliver Canavan* 3rd Isaac May* 4th Harry Butcher* 5th Jack Webb* 6th William Moss, 10th William Hayward, 13th Steven Kiff
U15 Girls – 1st Team 18 points. (7 competitors) Isabel is looking strong at the start of the season and is obviously in great form coming in 4th overall in the U15 combined race closely followed by scorers Constance King, Albha and Clodagh O’Brien plus Esmee – all in the tope ten finishers. Amy Betts back on form, and well done to Elizabeth Davie, who although she is training with a sprint group right now, turned out to compete and got in a good training run. 1st Isabel Cherrett* 4th Constance King* 6th Albha O’Brien* 7th Clodagh O’Brien* 8th Esmee Hurst-Atkins, 14th Amy Betts, 15th Elizabeth Davie
U17 Men – 1st Team 25 points. (5 competitors) Another 1st team! Happy to see Oscar, 3rd and Hugo, 5th facing some strong competition in this race which came as a surprise but they ran hard. Great placings too from Sam Brewer, Oliver Hill and the ever present Nathan Mearns. 3rd Oscar Newbery* 5th Hugo Richardson* 8th Samuel Brewer* 9th Oliver Hill* and 13th Nathan Mearns
U17 Women (2 competitors) Congratulations Laras and Freya! Great running from both ladies, and first turn out in a BAC vest for Freya. 3rd Laras McKenna, 6th Freya Sclater
Senior Men – 124 points (4 competitors) The old boys made it around in one piece 😉 12th Chris O’Brien* 26th Jud Kirk* 40th Geoff Newton* 46th Ian Graham*
Senior Women (2 competitors) Not so old ladies, hopefully they will be joined in by a few more team members in the next two races. 7th Jolanta Dewerenda, 12th Nicola Whittaker

Ian Graham - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Ian Graham

Geoff Newton - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Geoff Newton

Ian Graham - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Ian Graham

Geoff Newton - Wessex Cross Country League - Learoyd Road

Geoff Newton