Hillingdon AC's U17 men clinched the Metropolitan Cross-Country League title on Saturday on a day which saw the club demonstrate its strength in depth with a string of fine results.
The U17s were without key runners and their result at Horsenden Hill in Perivale was well below par as they were only fifth of 12 teams in the fifth and final round of the competition, but they had already done more than enough to claim top spot.
James Laing managed eighth place on the day, backed up by Joe Carton (21st), Steve Hobbs (29) and Akshay Pal (32) as the team amassed 962 points overall to finish well clear of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers. Although they were the club's only champions, Hillingdon boasted top four places overall in seven out of the nine age groups.
Robert Thompson (15), Matt Revier (16), Martin Bateman (23), Daniel Thompson (24), Jonathan Castro (28) Steve Hirons (64), Paul Leppard (65), Scott Farley (79), Pete Warburton (94), Steve Wicks (110), Paul Williams (113), Dave Smith (120), Andy Miles (131), Simon Claridge (149), Stevan Dokic (155), Jon Leigh (166), Jason Steel (170), Richard Nash (188), Nick Seaman (191), Martin Searle (192), John Myall (193), John Bignell (203), Dave Newman (204), John Luscombe (215), Andy Mansi (218), Brian Feldman (233), John Mulliner (241), Mick Miller (243), Doug Milsom (246), Peter Crab-tree (247), Tony Shaw (250), Steve Thompson (256), Phil Welch (257), Alan Wells (259) and Johnathan Ash (260) all did their bit as the senior men's A team came third on the day and fourth overall in Division One, with the B team fourth, third overall in Division Two and the veterans achieved fourth to grab the runners-up spot.
Steve Crosbie crossed the line just two seconds behind the U13 boys winner and James Hailstone (15), Daniel Speight (16), Julian Gradwell (25), Harrison Saunders (26), Jo Atkins (27) and Jack McDermott (31) helped them to third on the day, second overall. The U13 girls were third after Katherine Newberry (eighth), Rebecca Miles (ninth), Nyassha Horne (18), Carys Tetlaw, Lily Fawsett, Bryony O'Donnell, Charlotte Steward and Juliette Carton (20th to 24th) took them to fourth on the day.
Heather Wells (13), Claire Vizard (15), Heather Gibbons (18), Jade Nettleton (22) and Fiona Hailstone (27) boosted the U17 women to fourth place, the same as their final position, while Emma Grant's fine 10th place in the senior women's event was only good enough to take the team into 16th spot, 14th overall, supported by Liz Conway (85) and Jo Miles (103). The veteran women were 18th on the day, 16th overall.
