Scrivener leads the way as Harriers make good start

Banbury Harrier Alex Scrivener on her way to winning the under15/17 race NNL-170711-084840002

Banbury Harriers athletes turned out in force to run the first race in the series held at Newbury Showground on Sunday.

Scrivener won the under-15/17 girls’ race. The victory showed she is coming back to form after some injury niggles with first place by some margin, front running the race from gun to tape.

Team-mate Naomi Dibb was 18th, followed by Shannon Gilkes 40th and Mabel Shepherd 44th.

In a very competitive under-15/17 boys’ race, Owen Knox sat with the leaders for much of the race. But just lacking a bit of training due to injury, Knox had to settle for third place.

He was well supported by Skip Snelson in fifth, one place ahead of Reuben Trotter, while Daniel Roberts was 11th and Charlie Marr came 22nd.

If the boys can keep these placings up over the winter months they will be strong contenders for first team place in the league.

In her first year as an under-13, Tilly Lainchbury ran a well-paced race to come home in 12th, the same position occupied by Ruben Snelson in the under-13 boys’ race. He was followed home by Archie Street in 18th, Ethan Aldous in 22nd and Miles Taylor in 38th.

In the under-11 girls’ race, Frankie Scrivener was 26th and Edie Brown-Lapper 59th. In the boys’ under-11 race, strong running saw Sam Davis come home in tenth, one place ahead of Adam McLaren-Dobbie while Richie Mack was 13th, Edgar Dumbreck 16th and Leo Brown-Lapper 69th.

In the under-9 race, running in their first race for Banbury Harriers, Thomas Roberts was sixth and Merle Snelson 23rd.

The senior men’s race saw five Banbury Harriers in the line-up with Tim Wright battling injury and illness to come home in 39th. He was followed by Mark Scrivener in 207, Phil Coy 209, Neil Frape 270 ad Neil Forbes 281.

In her first season running with the senior ladies, Emily Thompson tracked the leaders for the first lap but found the distance a big jump up and had to settle for tenth place.

Michelle Bartlett, showing some good consistency, was 25th, while Charlotte Drummond produced a strong finish to take 37th place, Ros Kelling was 39th followed by Lisa Ansell in 77th, Rebecca Biegel 130, Sandra Smith 200 while Rita Cronin, showing great determination, finished in 208.