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Lewes AC wins the Sussex Sunday Cross County League
With six league matches taking place across East Sussex with eleven competing teams from 15 clubs it was down to the last race at Pett Village to decide the eventual league winner. Going into this final event two teams Hailsham Harriers and Lewes AC shared first place so both teams turned up determined to win the league. In a closely fought battle at Pett Lewes AC came out victorious and won the league from the Hailsham team by just one point.
Winning the league was truly a club effort with 83 club members turning out to run at least once for the club during the season which lasted from October last year to February 2016. With events taking place across Sussex including Eastbourne, Wadhurst, Framfield, Ashdown Forest, Firle Beacon and Pett Village a deep knowledge of Sussex mud was obtained.
Leading the Lewes AC team at Pett Village was new member Miles Shepherd who finished in 7th place scoring 7 points for the Lewes AC team. This finishing position placed Miles 36 places ahead of his opposite number in the Hailsham team who finished in 43rd place. All Lewes AC senior men won their individual battles with their Hailsham opposite numbers and it was this high scoring for the team that won the match for Lewes AC. Toby Baker in 15th place was 34 points ahead, Gustavo Iriarte 39 places ahead, Rashaad Shabab also 39 places and Tsegay Tekleselassie a formidable 45 places in front.
Also making significant a contribution to the Lewes AC winning score was Jonathon Burrell in the men aged over 50 group. By finishing in11th position this placed Jonathon 15 places ahead of the Hailsham runner. This and great runs in the other 6 matches gained Jonathon the league’s end of season gold medal in the men aged over 50 category.
Showing that the Lewes AC league win was truly a club effort there were another 4 end of season medal winners. Andrew Chitty secured the silver medal in the men aged over 60 category as did Maria Borrow in the senior women’s category. Also winning silver medals were Karin Divall in the women aged over 55 and Helen Sida in the women aged over 45. Also picking up a well deserved end of season trophy was Jane Boyes who was the most improved runner in the league over the six matches.
33 clubs members travelled to Pett to compete and their age category and finishing positions of the other club members included – Mark Cage (M40-10); Andrew Masters (M40-14); Mike Green (M40-24); Emma Rollings (W35-35); Ed Tuckley (SM-36); John Stanford (SM-37); Andrew McLelnan (SM-38); Gyles Abbott (M40-51); Shane Duncan (SM-52); Ian Fines (M50-59); John Dryden (M40-67); Ed Wheeler (SM-71); Emma Shepherd (SW-77); Aaron Barard (SM-88); Sarah Godley (W35-87); David Foster (M50-98); Gina Wilson (SW-99); Mick Acott (M60-164); Colin Hartland (M50-169); Andrea Ingram (W55-173); Alf Pollard (M65-186); Siobhan Boyer (W45-187):