Under 17 Girls Team – Gold, Freda Pearce, Raya Petrova & Daisy Connor
The cross-country season kicked off with the annual Sussex Cross Country Relays held at Goodwood Country Park. Conditions were dry underfoot, but included challenging hills, tree roots, and many twists and turns. The senior athletes (U17 upwards) tackled an approximate 3.8km per lap course on grassland and footpaths through the woods. The junior course for measured approximately 2.8km per lap with less time in the woods. The relay event comprises of teams of 3 or 4 runners (depending on age & gender), from Under-13s to Over-60s. With the U11s competing in an individual 2k race on grassland.
Eastbourne Rovers showed great form for early in the season, with impressive performances across the board.
Continuing to dominate in their age category, taking the team gold medals, were Eastbourne’s under 17 girl’s trio of Freda Pearce (14:09), Raya Petrova (14:55) and Daisy Connor (14:06). The team were invincible and almost 2 minutes ahead of their nearest rivals Chichester A/C. The girls also claimed 2nd, 3rd & 7th fastest individual laps for their age group.
George Armstrong – Smith (12:16), Fin Lumber – Fry (12:58) & Thomas Petherick (12:58) matched the girls by also taking the gold in the under 17 boys’ race. George Armstrong – Smith set the team up for victory with the 2nd fastest lap of the day, with Fin & Thomas joint 6th quickest.
Under 17 Boys Team – Gold – George Armstrong – Smith, Fin Lumber – Fry & Thomas Petherick
Byron Roberts ran a superb 1st leg in the under 15 boys’ race, with the fastest leg in his age group of 8mins 26secs. His teammates Archie Franklin (9:21) & Adam Meyer (9:36) ran strongly to take the silver team medals, just behind Chichester A/C. Archie Franklin showed his ever-improving form achieving the 9th best lap time for his age group.
Under 15 boys team – silver – Adam Meyer, Archie Franklin & Byron Roberts
Worthy mentions & additional results for the Eastbourne Rovers Team:-
Under 11 Boys, Aidan Wai – 4th (7:44)
Under 11 Girls, Emily Petrova – 3rd (7:50),Jessica Webster – 14th (9:13), Iona Meyer – 21st (09:25)
Emily Petrova & Raya Petrova
Under 13 Girls Team – 9th, Poppy Charlwood (12:46), Skye Winter (13:21), Grace Waite (13:56)
Under 15 girls Team – 5th – Ksenia McCrae (10:30) & 7th quickest individual leg, Oliwia Zietal (11:53) & Chyna Wai (11:28)
Under 15 Boys B Team – 11th, Joshua Webster (10:01), Xavier Bray 11:32, Jackson Walker (10:23)
Under 17 Boys – Jonah Messer (13:13) & Ben Wright (13:47)
Senior Women – Flick Webster (18:47) & Katherine Brown (16:39)
Next up for Eastbourne Rovers is the 1st Sussex League Cross Country league race on 11th October, (again at Goodwood), the 1st of the East Sussex League on Sunday 12th October at Black Cap, Lewes, and the South East Relay Championships at Wormwood Scrubs (where several teams coached by Chris Voice are competing)