CROSS COUNTRY
The junior girls take the national title
It seemed foolish to believe that the new cross country season would pan out as per the fixture calendar , but come the end of March , we were able not only to celebrate a season with minimal interruption due to Covid-19 , but a season full of success stories .
The national final of the ESAA Cross Country Cup was a true highlight . Held in Newquay in December , the ever-strong junior girls ’ team of Sophie Fleming , Victoria Kern , Charlotte Bloodworth , Marjolaine Mauduit , Elena Iasci and Saskia Taylor put in a fantastic team performance and clinched victory by just three positions to be crowned national champions . The senior boys ’ team ( Fenton Davoren , Jake Brislane , Dominic Best , Daniel Hadden , Max Malkinson and John Dunlop ) put in a strong performance to finish 13th in the inaugural event for this age group with Fenton , our exemplary captain of the last few years , leading the team in , and Jake , back from injury , coming closely behind . The inter girls ’ team , a group of extremely committed and enthusiastic Year 9 girls , narrowly missed out on qualification , but are certainly ones to watch next year as they race again in the same age group .
October saw us celebrate the return of residential trips with a fantastic few days at the South Downs Bunkhouse . After a soggy initiation run along the banks of the Arun , we were treated to brilliant sunshine for the rest of the week . The runners , ranging from Year 7 to the Upper Sixth , ran two to three times a day , culminating in the Horsham parkrun ( on tired legs ). They threw themselves into yoga , strength and drill sessions and enjoyed a Q & A with Old Sennockians and international runners Sabrina Sinha ( OS 2017 ) and Phoebe Barker ( OS 2018 ).
Ben Catchpole had an outstanding season as he burst on to the junior boys ’ scene , running the fastest lap at the Will Bolton Memorial Relays in the U13 competition , winning the IAPS at Somerhill and the Kent round of the ESAA Cross Country Cup . After receiving some proper running shoes for Christmas , he finished fourth in the Junior Knole Run before flying through the Kent Schools Championships , racing for the first time in a Kent vest at
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