(Picture courtesy Jersey Evening Post)
INTER INSULAR CROSS COUNTRY
Noirmont, Jersey
SUNDAY 13th MARCH 2000
(Picture
courtesy Jersey Evening Post)
DESPITE
fine individual wins by Alan Rowe, Tom Oliver, Caroline Wickham
and Andrew Mauger, as well as comprehensive team victories at
senior men's and
under 15 boys' level, there was no hiding the GIAAC's
disappointment at Noirmont.
Having to concede all the other age-category titles to a surprisingly strong Jersey Spartan team in the annual inter-insular cross-country championships, had not been on the Sarnians' agenda. Following last year's successes on home soil, which saw the GIAAC claim 18 of the 24 team and individual trophies, and with the club's Hampshire medal-winning performances in January, also still fresh in the mind, expectations were high for if not a repeat of the previous year's triumphs, at least a share of the spoils. In the event, the tables were turned. On a day when the conditions would have been more suited to mid-summer water sports than mid-winter cross-country, most of the Jersey athletes were also too hot to handle. It is perhaps excusable to have hoped that the early morning mist might have hung around long enough to have forced a postponement of the fixture, thus allowing several key senior team members to overcome illness and injury.
But the mist lifted and the GIAAC flew in to the sister isle for a tougher than expected time. It is debatable whether even the presence of Val Phillips and Robbie Froome, in particular, would have made a big difference to the overall picture. It should not be denied that, on the day, the Jersey Spartans ran well. Neither should the disappointment overshadow some exceptional Sarnian performances. Alan Rowe was again in a class of his own, as he recorded his seventh victory in as many years, finishing the senior men's five and a half mile race over a minute and a half clear in 28min. 29sec. Runner-up Lee Merrien would have been closer, had not stomach cramp at the beginning of the third and final lap necessitated a pit-stop in the bushes.
A change in the competition rules allowed next placed Jersey veterans Gary L'Enfant and Ken White to count for the senior team. Under the old ruling only fifth placed Andy Crowhurst would have prevented a repeat of last year's Guernsey white-wash. Consequently, the scores were a lot closer, 34 to 47, but the result was never really in doubt, as the Guernsey team equalled Jersey's record of seven consecutive team victories. With L'Enfant, White and Pete Le Couillard all back running, and going well, the Guernsey veterans were always going to have their work cut out to retain their championship shield. And so it proved, as Pete Wickins was Guernsey's highest scorer in fourth place. With Jersey vets also accounting for five of their senior team's positions, they took the trophy with the day's biggest winning margin, 11 to 29. Although Jersey's supervet men also put up a very capable team display, individually they were no match for Guernsey's Tom Oliver, who dominated the four mile race from start to finish, winning by nearly a minute, in 22min. 40sec.
Another supervet who ran superbly was Jersey's Sue Le Ruez, who dethroned Chris de la Mare as Channel Islands Over 45s champion. Her fourth place overall meant that she not only contributed maximum points to the veteran and super-veteran scorecards, but also helped the Spartan senior women's team to a convincing win. An out-of-sorts Penny Buckingham never looked comfortable throughout their two-lap race, and had to settle for third place behind Jo Morton and Mary Fawley. Despite the valiant efforts of Debbie Doherty, Caroline Wickham and de la Mare, there was no denying the Caesareans yet another team prize. Nevertheless, Wickham, who had ignored a niggling knee injury to compete, was the leading Over 35 veteran woman.
Guernsey's best display of the morning came in the Under 15 boys' event, with an impressively strong run from Andrew Mauger leading his team-mates to victory. Only Jersey's Ross Allan, in the runner-up spot, interrupted a clean sweep by Mauger, Ian Powell, Adam Cox, Ross Tucker and Philip Touzeau in their two mile race. It is a pity Sally Chaddock had not had the same teamback-up, as she was left to fight a lone battle in the Under 15 girls' race, but still put in a brave performance to finish second to Jersey's Hayley Clarke. One more team member and a slightly longer course might also have made all the difference in the Under 13 boys' event. The shorter 2,000m course was obviously to the liking of Jersey's James Allan, but Kyle Stone, Mark Mercier and Andy Carre all ran well to take third, fourth and fifth. Only Laurianne Warlow managed to prevent Jersey runners taking all of the first four places in the Under 13 girls' race over the same distance. But the Guernsey girls, most of whom still have two years left in this age group, all finished within a minute of Sylvie Thompson's winning time of 10-55.
(Guernsey Press)