National Titles for Mike and Samia in a Fourteen Gold Medal Haul at the Welsh Cross Country Championships
Menai Track and Field’s endurance athletes made the long trip to Swansea on Saturday 24th February for the Welsh Athletics National Cross Country Championships and returned with a bumper haul of 14 gold medals!
The young athletes very quickly got on the podium with a team win in the first race of the day, the under 13 Boys, lead home by Math Thomas in 4th. The boys packed well and all 5 finished in the top 12 overall!
Where the boys had previous experience in Swansea, the under 13 Girls did not, but they all acquitted themselves well with Caitlin Forrest the first home in 23rd spot.
Not to be outdone by their younger team mates, the under 15 Boys also won the team competition. They were lead home by the clubs first individual Welsh Champion of the day, Mike Spill. Mike was at the front of the race from the off and after a first lap challenge from Joseph Reardon from Aberdare, he pulled away on the second lap to take a clear and controlled win. Again the team packed well with the 4 required to score finishing in the top 11.
Samia Jones became Menai’s second Welsh Champion with a dominant win in the under 15 Girls. Again good packing from the team saw them all finish in the top 15 to take the team title.
The next race to feature athletes from the club was the Primary Schools Girls. Beca Bown worked her way through the field to just lose out on a podium placing during a sprint finish that saw her finish 4th. Menai’s other athlete in this age group was Cadi Edwards in 15th.
Menai’s sole competitor in the under 17 Men was Aled Jones who finished 15th.
The final race to feature Menai athletes was the under 17 Women which saw Lucy Lawrence lead the team home in 15th.
The competition in Swansea was the last of the races used for selection for the Welsh Schools team to run at the London Mini Marathon on April 22nd.
The clubs endurance athletes have two big races in the next couple of weeks with those who have qualified to represent Eryri Schools competing at the Welsh Schools National Championships on March 7th and then those who have been selected to represent North Wales competing at the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships on March 10th.
All Menai Results
U13 Boys – 4th Math Thomas, 5th Tudur Harper-Lloyd, 7th Harri Morgan,10th Dylan Robb,12th Joseff Morgan
U13 Girls – 23rd Caitlin Forrest, 31st Seren Griffiths, 38th Non Elen Redvers-Jones
U15 Boys – 1st Mike Spill, 7th Osian Perrin, 10th Cai La Trobe Roberts, 11th Daniel Stones, 12th Louis Guest, 20th Cameron Lawrence
U15 Girls – 1st Samia Jones, 8th Abbi Parkinson, 12th Ffion Madi Rees Jones, 15th Georgia Parkinson
U11 Girls – 4th Beca Bown, 15th Cadi Edwards
U17 Men – 15th Aled Jones
U17 Women – 15th Lucy Lawrence, 25th Catrin Donnelly, 28th Swyn Edwards
Report by Team Manager Steve Livett
