This was the first event which had all 30 Island primary schools competing with 602 finishers crossing the line. Conditions were perfect for running – the rain held off and the ground was soft and muddy in places making it more challenging for the children.
Top eight finishers
Year 5 Girls
1: Evie Greig, Beaulieu
2: Wilma Larsson, Bel Royal
3: Lily Gardner, St George’s
4: Pia Gurner, Trinity
5: Charlie Rowland, Trinity
6: Eva Scott, St Luke’s
7: Kimberley Reddy, JCG
8: Evie Bailey, Beaulieu
Year 5 Boys
1: Luke Harris, St Clement
2: Samuel Pinel, VCP
3: Jonty Butler, FCJ
4: Ben Shirley, St Clement
5: Dean Latimer, Mont Nicolle
6: Alfie Le Cornu, VCP
7: Matthew Brown, VCP
8: Freddie Lucas, VCP
Year 6 Girls
1: Lucy Hunt, Beaulieu
2: Skye Leather, St Martin
3: Hope Herridge, Beaulieu
4: Elisha Hiller, D’Auvergne
5: Lily Scott, St Luke’s
6: Hannah Moody, D’Auvergne
7: Katie Doyle, Les Landes
8: Clementine Carnegie, St George’s
Year 6 Boys
1: Oliver Rothwell, VCP
2: Noah Trench, St Lawrence
3: Thomas Atkinson, Janvrin
4: Jamie Ritzema, Mont Nicolle
5: Jakob Stanton, St Mary
6: Izaac Camacho, FCJ
7: Isaac Dodds, VCP
8: Finn Hougardy, St Peter
Top five schools
Year 5 Girls
1: Beaulieu – 18
2: JCG – 31
3: Trinity – 62
4: St Michael’s – 66
5: La Moye – 85
Year 5 Boys
1: VCP – 15
2: Grouville – 46
3: De la Salle – 47
4: St Clement – 56
5: Mont Nicolle – 63
Year 6 Girls
1: Beaulieu – 17
2: FCJ – 42
3: JCG – 47
4: St Michael’s – 74
5: D’Auvergne – 88
Year 6 Boys
1: VCP – 21
2: St Mary – 56
3: St Peter – 66
4: De la Salle – 80
5: Grouville – 83
The children completed the course in four races: Years 5 and 6, girls and boys. The route took the competitors round the playing fields and along part of the railway walk, with the Year 5’s covering approximately 1,500 metres and the Year 6’s having an additional loop, making their course 2,000m long.
The results from the races were separated into individual and team results, the latter being calculated by adding the top three finishing positions of each school, to work out a total, with the lowest score winning.
In the Year 5 Girls’ race a battle began between last year’s winner Evie Greig from Beaulieu, Wilma Larsson from Bel Royal and Lily Gardner from St George’s.
Evie managed to maintain her lead into the final stages, finishing in a very fast time of 5.24 min. The Year 5 Girls’ team winners went to Beaulieu once again, when Greig’s score added to Evie Bailey who placed fifth and their next best runner, who placed ninth.
In the Year 5 Boys’ event Luke Harris of St Clement sped round the course finishing in a fast 4 min 38 sec. He was chased down by two boys, Samuel Pinel from VCP and Jonty Butler from FCJ, who came second and third respectively. VCP easily won the Boys’ team event as they received the lowest score when Samuel’s second place score was added to sixth place Alfie Le Cornu and seventh place Matthew Brown giving them the lowest score of 15.
In the Year 6 Girls’ event many of November’s top eight names appeared again with Lucy Hunt of Beaulieu managing to keep ahead and take the title in a time of 6.02 min. Skye Leather of St Martin, Hope Herridge of Beaulieu and Elisha Hiller of D’Auvergne all battled it out for the next three places, crossing the line in the same positions as last time, in second, third and fourth. Lucy and Hope both helped Beaulieu to the Year 6 Girls’ team title with their 13th place runner giving them the lowest score of 17 points.
In the Year 6 Boys’ event Oliver Rothwell of VCP took the honours once again in a fantastic time of 5.38 min, a great result considering he had gone over on his ankle earlier in the week at school. Oliver was followed across the line by Noah Trench of St Lawrence and Thomas Atkinson of Janvrin. The Year 6 Boys’ team event was won by VCP when Oliver’s first position was added to seventh place Isaac Dodds and 13th place Freddie Pollard.
‘It was another fantastic event with a huge number of children crossing the line in true cross country style with mud splattered all up their backs,’ said Natacha Morgan-Pasquali, honorary secretary for primary school athletics.
‘Once again the best runners from the November Open managed to lead the races in all the separate age groups demonstrating just how good they are. We have so many talented children in this Island; they are so lucky that they can be involved in so many different sports without having to travel very far.
‘It is great as an association, to be able to put on this wonderful event and provide an opportunity for those elite runners, but also for those children who just wanted to have a go and challenge themselves individually.
‘This Spring Open is always particularly exciting as the cross country inter-insular team is selected from the top runners.
‘Those children who finished in the top eight will have extra training sessions in preparation for the event, with the top six travelling to Guernsey for the inter-insular on the 21 March.
‘I would like to thank all the officials, teachers and who helped marshal the course. Thanks also to the Les Quennevais grounds men who helped set up the course; to the St Brelade’s Honorary Police who managed the parking and to the St John Ambulance team. Thanks must also go to the athletics committee for their help with planning and setting up the route. More importantly, I would like to thank the children for making this Spring Open such a successful event.’
Pictures: JON GUEGAN
