Luton
Athletic Club

Luton AC hosted the 3^rd fixture of this winter’s Chiltern Cross Country League on Saturday and achieved their highest tem finishing position in 4^th place a tantalising 2 points from a top 3 finish. Overall scores were Milton Keynes 2431 points, Windsor 2157, Harrow AC 1920, Luton 1918 with Bedford 5^th of the 13 teams with 1816 points. This result has moved the team to within 50 points of Bedford who currently occupy 4^th overall this winter.

Saturday’s match, held at Stockwood Park, saw the worst conditions experienced this winter, with driving rain persisting throughout the day, although the underfoot conditions remained good.

Contributing to Luton’s overall score were some fine individual performances. Sarah Simpson made it a clean sweep in the under 15 girls category with her 3^rd win of the winter. Reg Brett in the men’s 60 category secured his second successive victory of this winter’s league. Individual 2^nd places were achieved by Perry Howarth in the under 15 boys and Lorraine Hogan in the women’s 45 category.

Team performances were the best recorded for the winter where 2^nd was achieved by the under 15 girls and under 15 boys. In 3^rd were the under 17 men, under 13 boys and the Ladies team and 4^th places went to the Men’s team and the under 13 girls.

Supporting Simpson in the under 15 girls were fine runs by Michelle Keepence in 6^th and Kayleigh Watkins i18th, her best finishing position of the winter.

In the under 15 boys race Tom Best ran his race of the winter in 9^th place, giving Luton 2 in the top 10 with Howarth’s 2^nd place. Nathaniel Quigley and Colin Johnson had their best runs in the league this season when they placed 18^th and 22^nd respectively. A fine team performance.

The under 17 men have been a bit fragmented this winter but Saturday saw the best team possible out, securing 3^rd. Leading Luton runner home was Craig Watkins in 7^th. Matthew Sutton, making his winter’s debut , ran an impressive race in 11^th, closely followed by a fast closing Jamie Attwood in 12^th, running easily his best performance of the winter. Chris Drinkwater was disappointed with his run but finished a solid 21^st to secure 3^rd team.

In the ladies race Luton boasted 2 top 10 finishers in Claire McMahon and Christine Lathwell, 4^th and 5^th respectively, fine performances from both athletes. Claire Bassill made her winters debut and finished very strongly in 11^th place, less than a minute down on Lathwell. Next came the club’s 2 stalwart veteran runners Larraine Hogan and Dee Brockway in 26^th and 27^th, securing the ladies 3^rd team place.

The under 13 boys packed best of all the teams, finishing 3^rd, when they placed 9^th for D Chorley, 10^th for Peter Benedickter, 13^th for M Bardon and 38^th for Luke Natale.

The men produced easily their best team result finishing 4^th, bolstered by some new signings. Paul Farmer lead the team in 8^th place followed by Gareth Suffling, with his best run of the winter, in 13^th. New signing Matt Linbourne made the top 20 in 19^th and Andy Stowe and Stuart Still had a race long battle finishing 40^th and 41^st respectively. Andy Johnson placed 85^th with Mark Ellingham very close in 87^th. The team was rounded out by Tony Thompson, 94^th, Roger Howell, another of Lutons new signings, 108^th and Paul Abraham’s in 114^th. Other noteworthy performances outside the 10 scorers were Reg Brett and Dave Mawer, 1^st and 3^rd in the men’s 60 category.

The under 13 girls achieved a highly creditable 4^th. Laura Gibson made her debut and finished a fine 14^th. Rosalyn Keepence had her best run of the winter in 27^th. Claire Tucker and Imogen Toyer concluded the team with strong runs in 35^th and 36thplaces.

Now 3 matches of the winter’s 5 are complete the organisers produce individual placing so far for the winter. Sarah Simpson, with her unbeaten record clearly heads the winter’s rankings and barring disaster will surely become the individual champion in the under 15 girls. Michelle Keepence, having a fine winter, holds 4^th overall. Reg Brett, who missed the first event of the winter due to injury, has two successive victories at Stockwood in November make him the leader in the men 60’s category. Dave Mawer currently holding 2nd in the men’s 60 category closely follows Reg. Although Paul Farmer could only manage 8^th place at the weekend he is now placed 2^nd overall for the winter following his strong 4^th in the previous event. Lorraine Hogan in the women’s 45 category, with one win and 2 second places, is placed 2^nd overall. Dee Blockway closely follows Lorraine in 4^th place, having finished only a few seconds behind her club mate at the weekend. Alan Daglish in the men’s 50 category, who couldn’t compete Saturday due to injury, by virtue of his two previous 2^nd places holds 2nd. In the under 15 boys Perry Howarth is placed 2^nd after finishing first and second in the 2 matches held at home. In the senior ladies Christine Lathwell and Claire McMahon occupy 3^rd and 4^th after placing 5^th and 4^th respectively on Saturday. Finally, in a new category introduced this winter, the under 11’s, Sean Still is show great grit and determination, currently holding on the 6^th overall individual.

Chris Stebbings

Luton AC

07909 910615