The Flagpole

On Monday 9 October 120 runners from ten Warwickshire schools travelled to Princethorpe College to take part in the county qualifying round of the English Schools Athletics Association’s (ESAA) Cross Country Cup.

The visiting schools entered Junior (Year 7/8) and Intermediate (Year 9/10) Boys and Girls teams in two races of 60 runners each. The course led the runners out around the College grounds, with the Junior Boys and Girls running 2500m and the Inter Boys and Girls a full 4000m. The weather was fair for October which, for cross country, gave the competitors good running conditions.

Competing were: Princethorpe College, Kenilworth School, Alcester Grammar School, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Lawrence Sheriff School, Myton School, Southam College, King’s High School For Girls, The Kingsley School and Stratford Girls’ Grammar School.

The ESSA Cross Country Cup is a three round competition, a County qualification round, followed by a Regional Final and then the best teams go forward to a National Final. This event is all about the first four in each team over the line aiming to score the least possible points. The top teams with the lowest aggregate scores then go through to the next round.

The U13 Junior teams ran first and the Princethorpe Junior Girls ran a cracking race with five girls in the top 20. Evie Phillips ran powerfully to come home in 5th place closely followed by a determined Grace Darcy in 8th, Julia Loftus in 12th, Jess Evans in 14th and Vice Captain, Lucia Bell in 16th place. Points are accumulated by finish position so our fine Junior Girls finished on a total of 39, taking overall second place. Captain of the Junior Boys Toby Collett ran well to finish 11th with Ethan Fletcher crossing the line in 20th. The Junior Boys finished in sixth position.

Onto the Inter Boys and Girls competition where hopes were high with our own ‘Brownlee boys’ the Crowfoot twins now in Year 10 looking like strong contenders. The Inter Boys team ran an excellent race with the brothers pacing side by side to the finish. Captain Will Crowfoot came in 2nd, Tom Crowfoot in 3rd, George Dunkley in 17th and Archie Houghton in 20th. The Inter Girls team did equally as well with Vice Captain Molly Minshull leading the Princethorpe pack to finish in 2nd, Erin Darcy in 4th, Eve Howard in 5th and Anneliesa Douglas in 14th. Both the Boys and Girls Inter teams were placed first overall and qualified for the Regionals.

With strong depth and talent across the age ranges the Princethorpe College teams put in an excellent cross country performance and will now travel to the ESAA Regional Finals in Warrington, Cheshire on Saturday 11 November.

Head of Girls Games, Mrs Debs Brookes, was delighted saying, “Our runners showed what potential we have for the coming season. The Inter teams experience really paid off, I am very proud of their performance and delighted that they are so convincingly through to the Regional Finals.”

Also running for Princethorpe were Luna Casey, Mark Dunkley, Archie Hancock, Matilda Houghton, Hannah McBride, Grace McGrory, Molly McGrory, Edward Mitchell, Luke Palmer, Edward Sharpe, Archie Shields and Eden Volpe.

Thanks to all of the staff involved in hosting and organising this event.