THERE was double delight for Abbey Gate College at the ISA North Cross Country Championships.
On a cold and blustery afternoon at Scarisbrick Hall College near Ormskirk, William Parsons and Jessica Thomas clinched junior titles for the Chester college.
Thomas was first to triumph in the Junior Girls race, leading from the gun and quickly establishing a 50 metre lead.
She held her lead and finished strongly to win – an impressive achievement given the fact Thomas is a Year 7 pupil and the field featured students from the year above.
Abbey Gate’s other junior girls also performed well, finishing within the top 30.
In the Junior Boys race, Parsons never looked like being caught. He paced his run well and finished full of energy.
Thomas and Parsons now go forward to the ISA Nationals at Princethorpe in Warwickshire on Saturday, March 3.
The Ormskirk event was a triumph for Abbey Gate, with many Year 7 and Year 8 pupils gaining invaluable experience.
Sally Stanford and Ellen Harris both finished in respectable positions as did the four Year 10 boys – Billy Reeves, Josh Kresnyak, Fraser Luckas and James Faulkner.
After waiting until late in the afternoon, Tom Thornhill and Jon Frazer-Cox put in sterling runs in the Senior Boys race over four gruelling laps. Both boys ran strongly to finish 14th and 15th position respectively.
Deputy head Gavin Allmand said: “This is a unique double for the College, with both junior championships being won in such commanding fashion by two outstanding prospects.”
Seven Abbey Gate College runners made it through to the Cheshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships last month.
Special mention should go to Will Parsons, who finished a very close third behind two runners from Warrington.
