11 December 2019
Abingdon pupils Will d’Arcy and Johnny James took silver and bronze at the English Schools National Cross-country Cup Final to help Abingdon place second overall and become one of the fastest schools in the country.
Having placed 7th in 2018 the intermediate squad have been training hard with their eyes firmly set on this year’s final of the ESAA Cross-country Cup. Virtually unstoppable during the first half of the season the team qualified in 1st place at both the county and regional rounds with one of the lowest cumulative scores in the competition.
This year’s course, set in the Derbyshire countryside, had the perfect mix of fast flowing grass sections and testing hills that got progressively muddy and testing as the afternoon of racing went on.
Will d’Arcy and Johnny James led from the front for the majority of the race until, Dan Shattock of Robert May’s School attacked with 600m to go to pass both Abingdon runners and take the individual victory.
Quinn Miell-Ingram raced maturely in his first National Schools final, finishing in 28th place, a fantastic result for someone who will still be eligible to race in the intermediate team next year, bringing valuable experience to the younger squad.
Thom Denning, another pupil making his debut running at this level, had a superb race, finishing in 41st place. Henry Channon was close behind in 49th position, a valiant effort, having to race through the field after falling early on in the race. Louis Trotter finished in 98th place, keeping the whole Abingdon team within the top 100.
A superb achievement for the team and a testament to the hard work and dedication they display to their sport.
Well done!
