Cross Country (1974-75)
SENIOR CROSS COUNTRY TEAM REPORT (1974-75)
By Mr T. A. Ford
Normally it is the Senior C.C. team that produces the best results while the Juniors produce the worst. However, this year the Juniors have been very suc- cessful, while the senior team has been almost totally unsuccessful. There are some extenuating circumstances; we again lost five out of the top eight runners, which is far heavier than virtually every other team in the area. This having been said, it must be admitted that it is not the only, or even the most important reason: what has been lacking has been application and a determination to produce good results. Three years ago one of the last sentences of the fourth year C.C. report read "Part of this problem (that is of poor results) would no doubt be overcome if the team could only find time to train more and, also, train more consistently." - a sentiment echoing the previous year's third year C.C. report. This training has been notable for its absence with one exception, Tim Baxter, who did, as a result, produce some good runs. Geoff Morris also had some good runs before he ceased to compete soon after Christmas. The Lower Sixth have not fulfilled the usual role of providing the core of the team, again largely due not to lack of talent but to lack of application and training. Of the Fifth form Nigel Newton and Nick Jones and to a lesser extent Robert Brown have all appeared regularly for the school and produced some good runs, but again lack of sustained training has meant they have not fulfilled their potential.
Not that there have been no bright spots. The running of Geof Wood, a newcomer to the option, and especially Pete Stockwell this year, as last year, a guest from the rugby team, has been very encouraging. The highlight of the season. was undoubtedly Pete Stockwell's run in the Alleyne's Relay where he ran a first class leg, bringing the team in in third place on the first leg, and thereby putting himself in the twenty fastest lap times which in a field of specialist cross country runners at this level is no mean feat, especially for a non-specialist.
In short then a rather disappointing year. The prospects for the future, given the lack of depth in the Fifth and Lower Sixth are not very bright, next year's team for example will be largely Fifth formers and therefore inevitably young and lacking in experience. However in the longer term, with the strength of this year's Junior team, there are grounds for considerable optimism and the hope that this year is but a temporary setback.
T. A. Ford.
INTERMEDIATE (U.16) CROSS-COUNTRY REPORT SEASON (1974-1975)
By Mr R. Kraushaar
The results indicate a fairly successful season for the Intermediate Cross-Country Team, although injuries and disappointing form, particularly in the Spring Term, hindered progress.
At fourth year level, there were six inter-school fixtures, of which the team won 4. We had easy wins against Richard Hale (first six runners home) Watford (first four runners home) and Slough (first three runners home). The match against our local rivals, Bishopshalt, was a closely fought affair, resulting in a four-point victory for the school. This was the best match of the season and proved the value of having had a joint Cross Country Training Camp in North Wales last September. Of our two defeats, the one against the strong St. Albans School was expected, although all the team gave of their best in this race. However, the same cannot be said about our defeat by Harrow County. Finally the match against Dr. Challoner's School was declared null and void because most of our runners went off course. We would probably have lost against this strong team but most of our team members seemed to have enjoyed their tour of the Buckinghamshire countryside in pouring rain and ankle-deep mud.
In races run jointly with the Fifth year, the team finished second to Bishopshalt in the Borough Championships and the Borough League. In the former, Nigel Newton finished eleventh and was selected to represent the Borough in the Middlesex Schools Championships. Jonathan Henley also had an excellent run in the Borough Race to finish fourteenth. In the Borough League, we lost to Bishopshalt in all five fixtures by ever increasing margins. Nigel Newton, Nicholas Jones and Jonathan Henley were our best performers but never finished high up enough to put the team in a winning position. Nigel Newton had the best individual record, finishing in sixth position overall.
Most success came in invitation races open to fourth and third years, mainly owing to the excellent support given by our outstanding third year team. We were third out of eighteen teams in the Joiner Trophy at Enfield, the best runs coming from Martin Johnson (22nd) and Mark Candler (24th) from a field of 140 runners. In the Highgate Harriers Schools Race, the strongest fixture of the season, the team finished eleventh out of thirty-six teams, a particularly good result as all the scoring runners were third years. Chris Cornwell came as close as he ever did all season to beating Martin Johnson, finishing just one second and one place behind in thirty third position. Nicholas Sebley was the other scorer in fifty ninth place from a field. of 148 runners.
In the Spring Term, we were placed fifth out of sixteen teams in our own Haste Hill Relay, just 33 seconds away from third-team medals. This was a solid performance, with only 33 seconds difference between the slowest and fastest member of the team.
At the beginning of March, we travelled to Hertford for the Skeeles Trophy Relay Race, hopeful of gaining medals. But it was not to be. Despite another spirited performance by the team, including a storming fourth leg by Martin. Johnson, giving him seventh fastest time of the day, we finished fourth. Our final fixture was the Langley Relay when we finished fifth; an excellent performance which augurs well for next year, as all the team were third years.
R.K.
Suggested:
Dr. Watson's Retirement
Photos of Staff
Hockey
Junior Common Room (1963)