Success for Shropshire athletes at Lilleshall
Shropshire athletes scored individual and team success in the fourth Grand Prix Express North Wales Cross Country League at Lilleshall, organised by Telford Athletic Club.
Alison Lavender, last year's overall champion, followed three second-placed finishes this season to win the ladies' race and lead Oswestry Olympians to team victory.
Joe Brocklehurst repeated his victory from the third race at Wrexham but this time had a comfortable winning margin of over a minute.
Brocklehurst also had the satisfaction of leading Shrewsbury AC to success in the men's team race.
Lavender finished the 5,600m muddy course in 22 minutes17seconds, almost 40 seconds clear of her nearest rival Georgia Garner.
Charlotte Jones, another Oswestry Olympian, was the next Shropshire finisher in ninth in 25.44, while Telford AC's Sarah Mackness, in her first North Wales race of the winter, was one second behind in 10th.
Oswestry scored 48 points in the team race to comfortably win Division One, with Wrexham second on 68 and Colwyn Bay, with 69 third.
Telford AC, weakened by the Lilleshall race clashing with a Midland Women's League event on the same day, still finished first in Division Two with 53 points and lead overall with a total of 165.
Telford Harriers were fourth with 176 points with Shrewsbury (196) sixth and Whitchurch Whippets (249) 10th.
Joe Brocklehurst dominated the men's 9,000m race throughout, coming home for a very impressive victory in 33.24.
Oswestry's Paul Jones had his best cross country result of the season as he finished third in 35.24.
Shrewsbury AC's Dom Kirby was the next Shropshire finisher in 14th (37.16), a massive improvement from 35th in the last race.
Sam Garmson, 17th and fourth under-20, was the first Telford AC runner home in 37.33.
Graham Jones, 23rd, and Rob Sharam, 25th, led Whitchurch Whippets to equal their highest team result of the season as they finished fourth in Division Two.
Ashley Gray (26th), Tom Roo (28th) and Andy Beeston (37th) completed the Shrewsbury AC scoring as they won the Division One team race with 152 points.
Bridgnorth's Bob Walters finished third in the over-70s race in 38.15.
The final race takes place in Oswestry on February 2.
By Paul Sanderson
