Liam Rawlings races to more county glory

Rawlings followed up his recent Midland Counties success at Loughborough by claiming his sixth consecutive county crown at Oswestry School.

Now a sixth form student at the Thomas Telford School, he had previously won the title every year from Year 7 to Year 11 while he was a pupil at The Corbet School, Baschurch.

His latest triumph came in the senior boys’ race – and in some style as he crossed the finish line almost a minute clear of his nearest rivals, Shrewsbury School duo Sam Western and Tom Jackson.

Interestingly, the last senior boy from Thomas Telford to win the title was the teacher now in charge of cross country at the school, Phil Nicholls, in 2001, who then went on to run for Great Britain as a junior and senior man.

With four runners in the first six places, Shrewsbury School won the team title for the 10th consecutive year.

Shrewsbury School also dominated the senior girls’ race, which was won by Francesca Harris, from Cameron-Ellie Mander (Thomas Telford) and Maddie Williams (Shrewsbury High School).

Harris, who won the junior race in 2017 and the intermediate event last year, led the team to glory for the first time since 2016 with three runners in the top six.

Another serial winner, Beth Rawlinson, followed up her Midland Counties victory by claiming her fourth consecutive Shropshire Schools title.

Having been successful in Year 7 and junior girls’ races for last three years, she became the first Concord College student to ever win a Shropshire Schools cross country title when she crossed the line first in the intermediate girls’ race.

Runner-up Maggie Preece (Thomas Telford) led her school to the team title.

Bethan Roberts (The Marches School) took the individual bronze.

Shrewsbury School’s Will Singleton also had cause for celebration after winning his first Shropshire Schools title.

He struck gold in the intermediate boys’ race with 13 seconds to spare over reigning Midland Counties champion Dan Galloway (Oldbury Wells).

Harrison Cutler, another Shrewsbury School student, was third and with four boys in the first six places they comfortably won the team race for a fifth straight year, with Adams, Newport second and Marches third.

Zoe Gilbody (Bridgnorth Endowed) followed up her silver at the Midlands Counties by racing to victory in the junior girls’ race.

Rosie Kind was second, and led Thomas Telford to the team trophy. Wrekin College’s Sinead O’Neill completed the top three in the individual event.

taking the bronze medal as William Brookes were the 2nd team and Abraham Darby took the 3rd team medals.

Jack Kinrade became the first Prestfelde School student to bag a Shropshire Schools title as he got the better of host school student Aaron Warburton in the junior boys’ battle.

Charlie Preece (Thomas Telford) came third, helping his school to overall success in the process.

Shrewsbury School were 2nd and Oswestry School 3rd.

Beth Trow also made a little piece of history when she crossed the line ahead of her rivals in the Year 7 girls’ race, becoming the first Corbet School girl to win a county title.

Evie Bierton claimed silver – a first-ever championship medal for HLC School, Hadley – and Cici Noss (Ellesmere College) won bronze. Shrewsbury High School retained the team title ahead of Marches and Abraham Darby.

Haberdashers Adams School Newport, had the satisfaction of providing the winner in the Year 7 boys’ race as Tom Jackson edged out Adam Bentham (Thomas Adams School) by four seconds.

Ben Price (William Brookes) completed the top three.

Thomas Telford won their fourth team title of the day after their first four runners all finished in the top nine.

places with Packwood Haugh 2nd and Haberdashers Adams 3rd.

The Shropshire selectors will now decided on their line-up for English Schools Championships, which will be held at Sefton Park, Liverpool in March.