SoC Men XC promoted to Division Two
Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance to win their final Surrey Cross-Country League Division Three match of the season, at Lloyd Park on Saturday. This gave Striders the Division Three championship and ensured promotion back to Division Two next year.
Striders were again led by Peter Mills who gained his second successive Division Three win, completing the muddy five-mile course in 28 minutes 46 seconds. Peter also won the individual Division Three championship. There were also very good runs from Phil Coales who placed third (29.36) and Simone Luciani who was fifth (30.14). Team manager Krzysztof Klidzia was first in the over-50 category and 11th overall (30.50). Lee Flanagan was 13th (30.54) with Robert Lines 16th (31.05), Justin Macenhill 26th (32.09), Simon Ambrosi 28th (32.20), Damian Macenhill 39th (32.55) and Matt Stone completed the scoring team in 42nd (33.03). Striders also had 15 non-scorers.
Striders’ women placed ninth in their Division Two match at Coulsdon, and finished eighth in the final Division Two table. They were led by Steph Upton who placed 26th, covering the five-mile course in 36 minutes 29. Katie Chadd was 35th (37.24), Debra Bourne 44th (38.27), Joanne Campbell 55th (39.17) and Becky Laurence 57th (39.32). For the B team, Selena Wong was 69th (40.55), Linda Daniel 110th (45.50), Michelle Klein 158th (56.28) and Victoria Legge 160th (63.53). Lucy Finch, was 31st in the under-13 race, covering the 3000-metre course in 14 minutes 18.
In the British Masters Indoor Pentathlon Championships at Lee Valley on Sunday, Paul Cripps did very well to place second in the M50 event, becoming the first Strider to win a medal in a national championship. His performances included a new club high jump record of 1 metre 56. At the same venue, Alan Dolton was second in the South of England Masters M60 indoor 1500 metre championship (5.55.17). Meanwhile James Bennett placed 62nd in the Barcelona Half-Marathon (72.23).
