ATHLETICS: History made by Manx U11 Girls team in Lancashire Cross-Country Champs

Report by David Griffiths

History was made at the weekend by the Manx U11 Girls team in the Lancashire Cross-Country Championships.

There was a clean sweep of Manx runners on the podium - the first time in any race in the 32 years of the Lancashire Championships in its current format.

Eve Martin - the defending champion from last year - led after half a lap, with the bronze medallist from last year Bella Quayle hot on her heels. Chasing Quayle was Megan Williamson in third, and Mollie McMullan in a close battle for fifth.

Eve Martin extended her lead in the final straight, launching into a sprint finish to get her the gold medal, retaining her title by a 22 second margin.

Quayle also finished strongly, crossing the line one better than last year in silver.

The surprise performance of the race was Mollie McMullan, who had hauled herself up from fifth place to third as she approached the finish line.

Showing great determination she fought off a late challenge from a Chorley runner to finish just 10 seconds behind Bella and take the bronze medal.

There was more success in the U11 Boys Race.

Manx Harriers' Leighton Curphey, who was seventh on his debut last year, made a huge improvement second time around.

He hit the front right from the start, and managed to maintain his lead all the way to the finish, taking the gold by 10 seconds.

Fellow Manx Harriers' teammate Billy McMullan (Manx Harriers) was racing in this event for the first time and battled hard to take the bronze medal.

Northern AC runner Leo Woodward finished in ninth place having been 27th last year, and Jack Teare finished 33rd.

Austin Quaye (Manx Harriers), who was possibly the youngest runner in the field, had a great run to finish 39th.

In the U13 Girls & Boys Race, Manx Harriers' Seamus Hall made a solid Lancashire debut finishing in seventh.

Meanwhile, Orry Teare from Northern AC came in 15th place.

Other first-timer Illiam Thomas (Manx Harriers) came in 17th, while Corrie Brogan was 25th with a determined run and Tara Nelson (Manx Harriers) came in 18th.

There were two athletes from Northern AC and one from Manx Harriers in the U15 Boys event.

Harry Stennett (Northern AC) went into the race having won the silver medal in the U13s in each of the past two years and ended up taking his his third successive silver medal.

Max Hammal (Manx Harriers) produced an impressive debut performance and Zac Woodward (Northern AC) also did well to finish in 18th place.

And competing in the U17 Men was the team from Northern AC who have been together since the U11 age group, and enjoyed great success at the Lancashire Championships over several years.

At the finish line the battle for the bronze went to the wire with Blackburn's Daniel Smith taking it by two seconds from Manx athlete Sam Perry, who just fended off a challenge from Lancaster & Morecambe's James Brassington to secure fourth place.

Lucas Stennett finished seventh and Charlie Teare just got ahead of Dom Dunwell in the closing stages, for 17th and 18th respectively. 

Their team effort secured the bronze medal.

You can find footage of the races and more information on the manxathletics Facebook page.