Athletics club ladies crowned as cross country league champions (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Athletics club ladies crowned as cross country league champions

CIRENCESTER AC ladies' team scored one of the club's greatest successes last Sunday when they were crowned Oxford Cross Country League Champions.

The team were strong favourites for the title having dominated the previous rounds.

In the final race at Banbury, Wendy Jones continued her individual domination by scoring her fourth comfortable win to remain unbeaten in the series to take the individual senior ladies' title.

Wendy was ably backed up by Jane Wassell who had an excellent run, a third place giving her the league runners-up spot in the over-35 age category.

Completing the team scoring was Kim Ingleby who maintained consistent form to finish 22nd. The team took the overall title 44 points ahead of runners-up Witney with Headington third.

There was almost as much celebration for the men who put on their best display of the year to avoid threatened relegation with some ease. Leading clubman was Keith Firkin in 37th who was followed by Kevin Ferris (49th), just ahead of Dave Wright and Marc Fallows who both had their best runs of the year.

In the club championship, Wendy Jones took the ladies' title just one point ahead of Kim Ingleby, who finished every race, while Jane Wassell a close third.

It was a repeat of last year in the men's club championship, Keith Firkin was a comfortable winner over Kevin and Bob Ferris.

In the junior races at Banbury, the club also had good results with Lucy Vass tenth in the U11s girls, Dan Warriner 11th in the U11s boys and Jack Stevens continuing consistent displays with 12th in U13s boys.

Cirencester AC results at Banbury are: Ladies: 1 Wendy Jones 20m41s, 3 Jane Wassell 21.59, 22 Kim Ingleby 25.49, 27 Sue McKeeman 26.18, 34 Carol Clarke 27.09, 36 Fiona West 27.17, 40 Sue Brown 28.01, 56 Chloe O'Brian 31.49.

Men: 37 Keith Firkin 37.52, 49 Kevin Ferris 39.14, 51 Dave Wright 39.21, 55 Marc Fallows 39.35, 67 Bill Leggate 40.29, 83 Bob Ferris 42.02, 87 Chris Riches 42.34, 100 Colin O'Hare 44.47, 114 Richard Waldron 47.23.

U11s Boys: 11 Dan Warriner 7.23, 24 Tom Hollis 9.27. U11s Girls: 10 Lucy Vass 7.24, 13 Jess Davies 7.41, 18 Laura Eales 8.27. U13s Boys: 12 Jack Stevens 12.17. U13s Girls: 16 Alice Thomas 13.02.

In the previous week's Bourton-on-the-Water 10k road race, Wendy Jones was Cirencester's star performer, finishing first lady and holding off Bourton's Lucy Townsend to reverse the positions of the County Cross Country Championships.

Wendy is now in training for her London Marathon debut next month.

Another London entrant is Keith Firkin who was the club's second finisher at Bourton.

Further down the field, Chris Riches had another good 10k run to pip Bob Ferris while Dick Waldron was well placed in the O60 age category with an excellent time of 43min 42sec.

In what was an excellent turnout of 16 competitors, Cirencester results at Bourton in the first round of the club's road race championship are as follows:

26 Wendy Jones 35min 27sec, 55 Keith Firkin 37.45, 59 Mike Humphries 38.08, 76 Dave Wright 38.55, 127 Chris Riches 41.20, 128 Bob Ferris 41.22, 136 Chris Sherrington 41.43, 151 Tony Curry 42.38, 172 Dick Waldron 43.42, 221 Kim Ingleby 46.19, 222 Elaine Wilson 46.20, 244 Carol Clarke 47.15, 271 Kim Withycombe 48.32, 286 Paula Vass 49.19, 331 G Clarke 52.46, 381 Lynn Ferris 56.37.