Gilbody strikes again to secure a Shropshire Cross Country hat-trick

The Thomas Telford School student collected her third consecutive title at a rainy and windy Oswestry School on Saturday.

Gilbody, who in 2020 became only the third Shropshire athlete ever to win an English Schools title when she won the junior girls’ title in March 2020, crowned a fantastic few weeks that has also seen her win the National and the UK Inter County Championships.

Despite an enforced break from competition during lockdown she is back to her best having also won the Midland title in Mansfield.

She won the intermediate girls’ title at Oswestry by over two minutes from her team-mate Ava Kind. Shrewsbury High School’s Rosie Morris was third.

Thomas Telford claimed the team title for the fourth consecutive year.

Beth Trow (Corbet School, Baschurch) was a runaway winner, as she took the junior girls’ title with over a minute to spare.

Thomas Telford duo Daisy Frost and Scarlett Willoughby took second and third respectively and helped their school secure a fifth team title in the last six years.

The Corbet School were second with The Marches School completing the top three.

Shrewsbury School’s Iris Davies won the senior girls’ race to claim her first Shropshire Schools title.

Four-time county champion Beth Rawlinson (Concord College) had to settle for second place with Sophia Urquhart taking the bronze medal.

Shrewsbury School retained the team title with Concord College in second spot.

Chloe Stuart won the Year 7 girls’ title and became the first Wrekin College student to win this race.

Manon Closs (The Priory School, Shrewsbury) took second spot with Erin Woolcock (St Martins) third.

Closs also tasted success in the team event as The Priory School saw four runners finish in the top nine places to score just 22 points. Thomas Telford claimed team silver and Newport Girls High bronze.

Shrewsbury School dominated the boys’ team awards winning three out of the four on offer.

Harrison Cutler (Shrewsbury School) led the way with a fine win in the senior boys’ race over an energy sapping six kilometre course, with two large laps including four water crossings on each lap.

Shrewsbury School collected the team trophy for the 11th consecutive year.

Cutler was well supported by Tim Streibel and Jonny Price, who finished second and third respectively, and Brad Keay in fifth.

Newport took the silver team medal with Concord College bagging bronze.

Harry Parker McLain (Shrewsbury School) claimed the school’s third individual title on the day.

He won the intermediate boys’ race by just one second from the fast finishing Edward Harrison (The Telford Langley School).

The Priory School’s Joe Leahy, who was second in the Shropshire AA under-15 boys’ race, came home third.

Shrewsbury won the team title for the ninth time in the last 10 years with Thomas Telford second and Haberdashers Adams third.

Adam Bentham, became only the second Thomas Adams School, Wem student since records for these championships started in 1978 to win the junior boys’ race.

He finished 25 seconds clear of Simon Bagshaw (Idsall School). Alex Mackinnon (Shrewsbury School) completed the top three.

Team title winners Shrewsbury packed their first four runners into the top 14. Oswestry School headed home with silver while Haberdasher Adams bagged bronze.

The Year 7 boys’ race proved to be a thriller as the top two were given the same time but William Neill (Priory) took the gold by the thickness of his vest from Lewis Howard (Burton Borough). Finley Thompson (Wrekin College) was third.

Haberdasher Adams School took the team title by just one point from Priory School. Marches were third.

Ian Roberts, the chairman of the English Schools Athletic Association and a former student at Oswestry School and ex-Shropshire athlete, presented some of the awards along with Oswestry School headmaster Peter Middleton.

The first six runners in the junior, intermediate and senior age groups are automatically selected for the Shropshire team for the English Schools Championships, which take place in Kent in March.