Southend Sport
Whittaker digs deep to claim fine eighth place
5:50pm Friday 3rd February 2012
PAUL Whittaker battled his way to a fine eighth place over a brutally tough course in the senior men’s race at the Southern Cross-Country Championships in Brighton.
The Southend-based 24-year-old, who is the current Essex Cross-Country champion, finished inside a minute of winner Ben Tickner over a Stanmer Park course that was littered with steep climbs and offered little respite to runners.
Whittaker, who runs for Chelmsford AC, described himself as very pleased with the result and will now look to continue his strong start to 2012 with a fast 10km time in Chichester on Sunday.
Whittaker, pictured below, said: “I decided to go off hard from the start.
“If you don’t go off hard and get up there early on in races that large then you won’t have a chance.
“Me and Adam Hickey (Southend AC) were pretty much leading after the first lap. But it was such a tough course – tougher than Parliament Hill in my opinion. You are constantly running hard either up hill or down hill.”
Whittaker was within touching distance of seventh place but couldn’t close the 50m gap to Kent’s John Gilbert, who finished in seventh place.
“I could see all of the seven in front of me on parts of the course,” Whittaker said.
“And when the guy in front got 50m there was nothing I could do to close the gap. But I was pleased overall. I’m feeling really strong at the moment. Hopefully I can carry that on.”
Hickey did not finish the race.
In the under-17 women’s race where Jessica Judd was beaten by Alex Clay, her Chelmsford AC team-mate Sophie Crofts, a student at Westcliff High School for Girls, was 51st.
There was a superb seventh place for Jessica’s younger sister Jodie in the under-13 girls race with her Chelmsford AC team-mate Kiera Tippett, another pupil from King John School, Thundersley, also showing well to finish in 25th place. Southend AC’s Natasha May was 43rd.
Thurrock Harriers’ Gemma Holloway was the first Essex athlete to medal, winning a bronze in the under-15 girls event.
Rayleigh’s Millie Smith – another talented youngster part of the Chelmsford AC stable – ran extremely well as a bottom year athlete to finish 22nd and on the same time as Essex companion Lydia Hallam (Havering Mayesbrook).
Another youngster competing as a bottom year athlete to shine – and another Chelmsford AC star – was Westcliff’s George Elliott who finished an impressive eighth place in the under-15 boys race.
His Eastwood School friend James Nadin (Southend AC) was 60th and Adam Jordan, also Southend AC, 61st.
Also finishing for Southend AC were Josh Mann (115th), Joe Ray (132nd) and Zach Inwood (180th).
Basildon AC’s representation at the championships was minimal. But their star under-13 boy Max Jones flew the flag with a brilliant sixth place, behind eventual winner and Essex champion Canaan Soloman (Woodford Green). Jones’ team-mate Mason Webb was 74th with Brandon Thorpe (Southend AC) claiming 30th spot.
Another Basildon AC athlete to feature high up was Jack Fitsall who ran well for 20th place in the under-20 men’s race. Team-mate Grant Webb was 35th and Southend AC’s Rhys Gillard 52nd.
Ben Franklin (Southend AC) was the first south Essex athlete home in the under-17 men’s race, finishing ahead of Thurrock Harriers’ pair Alec Finch (80th) and Tom Richardson (87th).
Benfleet RC’s Dominique Ballard ran strongly in the senior women’s race to finish in 36th place.
Southend AC’s Sarah Jeffrey was 84th and Pitsea RC’s Rachel Flannigan not far behind in 97th pace.
Holly Gillard (Southend AC) was 39th in the under-20 women’s race.
Other results: (All Pitsea) 246th Lorna Pettifer, 393 Helen Williams, 299 Teresa Flannigan, 305 Louise Smith, 307 Nicola Gordon, 316 Sharon Eastland, 320 Caz Wallis, 328 Amanda Jackson, 333 Carmel Bassett, 334 Linda Bates Men: 399 Mike Woodward, 481 Andy Doig, 493 Terry Noonan, 535 Jim Russell, 586 John Tracey, 682 Keith Jackson, 696 Keith Passingham, 728 John Pettifer, 729th Mervyn Beckwith, 731 Paul Williams, 744 Peter Bates.