In the eye of the storm.

Alex McMillan - A picture paints a thousand words ! This just about sums up the day. This week's newsletter is all about our junior's final XC league fixture of the season. This is due in part because it was such a special and memorable event and in part because I haven't received any other reports. I know there were senior XC fixtures for both our men's and ladies teams and I've been promised reports on those for next week. Best Wishes David Jones Our 3 individual age category winners for the season - Georgie Campbell, Alex Adams and Tessa Parkin. West Midland Young Athletes’ Cross-Country League 2019/20 Aldersley Stadium, Wolverhampton 9th February 2020 Storming performances for Stratford in Junior Cross-Country League Report written by David Parkin Our junior XC team completed their league cross-country in apocalyptic weather as Storm Ciara unleashed itself on Wolverhampton. Demonstrating incredible levels of fortitude, athletes from all clubs battled with each other and the elements. Stratford were delighted to finish second in the league, their highest ever finish out of 21 competing clubs and with a haul of individual and team medals. For many Stratford AC athletes it was the last league race of their junior careers and Georgie Campbell marked the occasion by securing the U17 women’s championship. Alex Adams (U15B) was crowned league champion for the fourth successive year, and remains unbeaten over this period, and Tessa Parkin (U11G) won her first championship. Georgie Campbell (1st, 16:44) has been a model of talent, hard work and consistency for younger members of the club and this race was no exception. Opening up an early lead in the U17 women’s race, she pushed hard all the way to the finish, despite the second place runner being out of sight. Ellen Taylor (16th, 19:05) made a welcome return to the team and ran well. Gigi Thomas rolled an ankle in a water-filled ditch and was unable to continue, leaving the hard-working Charlotte Gravelsons to make up the final scoring position for the club in her last race. The U17W finished third overall to secure a well-deserved team medal. The U11 boys’ race is usually the most competitive and congested. Fast starts are important and Maxime Verstraeten (8th, 06:26) sprinted hard to get well-positioned on the opening hill. Maintaining his top-ten position throughout the race, his result positioned him in an excellent 7th place overall in the league. Joshua Davies (18th, 06:53) showed good endurance to move up a few places in the second half of the race to earn his best-ever finishing position, as did Samuel Plumb (24th, 07:06). Aran Cooper (33rd, 07:19) and Joel Ledgard (36th, 07:19) completed the scoring positions with consistent runs, giving the team a 3rd place medal. Harry Francioni (39th, 07:23), Arthur Mansbridge (42nd, 07:30), Alfie Musk (44th, 07:30) and Henry Sims (70th, 08:06) comprised the remainder of the team. The U17 men’s team has been one of the stories of the season, with lots of heart and team camaraderie.…