ILKLEY Grammar pupils ran away with the top places in a snowy Bradford Schools' Cross-Country Championships at Northcliffe Park, Shipley.
The school enhanced their proud record in this branch of athletics with three of the top five finishers in the Year Seven (aged 11 and 12) girls' race, a second place in the Year Eight and Nine (age 12 to 14) girls' race – also winning the team race – and third places in the Year Seven boys and Year Nine boys, where all the team qualified for the West Yorkshire Championships.
The Year Seven Ilkley girls faced a 2,200-metre course, with Caitlin Oddie coming third, Bernadette Raven fourth and Katie Meredith fifth.
Adam Mitchell was third in the Year Seven boys' race over 3,000 metres, other Ilkley finishers including Reuben Foster, Tom Jackson, Archie Minto and Robert Johnson.
The Year Eight and Nine runners were not only competing for the school but also for qualification to run for Bradford at the West Yorkshire Championships at Silcoates School, Wakefield next month.
The last time it was held there, Olympic triathlon gold medalist Alistair Brownlee won the race.
All of Ilkley's Year Nine boys qualified for Bradford, with Cameron Reilly third, Oscar Stapleton fourth, George Dey fifth, Joe Haigh sixth and Harry Barker 12th. Jack Strother and Arran Burnett also finished in tough conditions.
Year Eight girl Bethan Morley put on another great show, following her recent success in Newquay, finishing second to a Year Nine rival from Parkside School.
The other Year Eight Ilkley girls – Rachel Scott, Ella Shouler-Harris, Elise Crabtree and Emily Field – not only helped to win the team competition but also qualified for the next round.
Bradford team for the West Yorkshire Schools' Cross-Country Championships at Silcoates School on Saturday, February 7 – Senior boys: James Habergham, Declan Craven, Luke Simpson, Sam Upham, Charlie Barker, Daniel Kirk, Kamil Piotrzkowski, Ben Adams, Thomas Sunter (all St Bede's & St Joseph's), Christopher Jacques, Matthew Jacques (Buttershaw), Emile Cairess (Bradford Grammar). Senior girls: Sarah Dewhirst, Maisie Manners, Katy Boden (Bradford Grammar), Joanne Williamson, Lucy Williamson (Ilkley Grammar), Lydia Farley (Buttershaw), Hannah Laverick (Immanuel), Lauren Ascough (St Bede's & St Joseph's).
Intermediate boys: Oliver Daffern, Max Duckett, Mannah Hassan, Pavendeep Sandhar, John-Michael Burke (Bradford Grammar), Tommy Thorp, Jamie Tse, Dec Bradley (Beckfoot), Aaron Greenwood, Mason Mirzalli (Parkside), Matthew Merrick (Bingley Grammar), James Coates (Buttershaw). Intermediate girls: Jemima Elgood, Lucy Jacques, Lucy Haines (Ilkley Grammar), Bethan Johnston, Maia Cameron, Isabel Harris (Beckfoot), Vicki Merrick, Olivia Roper (Bingley Grammar), Eleanor Robinson, Tegan Knappy (Oakbank), Lydia Jacobs (Bradford Christian).
Junior boys: Cameron Reilly, Oscar Stapleton, George Dey, Joe Haigh (Ilkley Grammar), Rueben Mantle, James Askew, Elliot Brett (Bingley Grammar), Kieron Hall, Jack Walton (Oakbank), Joseph Treasure-Jones (Beckfoot), Jake Dowden (Parkside), Charlie Spencer (Holy Family). Junior girls: Bethan Morley, Ella Shouler-Harris, Emily Field, Elise Crabtree, Rachel Scott (Ilkley Grammar), Millie Fewlass-Jones, Freya Bellamy (Bradford Grammar), Eliza Findlay, Sophie Mouldon (Parkside), Katie Smith (Beckfoot), Lucy Miller (Immanuel), Laura Knowles (Bingley Grammar).
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