Oxfordshire Sport

ATHLETICS: Fernandez wins league finale

8:11am Thursday 11th March 2010

Abingdon Amblers' Paul Fernandez emerged victorious in the final round of the Oxford Mail Cross Country League at Oxford in a thrilling sprint finish, writes Kieren Bushnell.

But he had to settle for joint-second place in the senior men’s championship to Ox-ford City’s Darrell Bellinger.

Going into the final round, Fernandez’s only realistic hope of clinching the title was if Bellinger had failed to finish.

But that was never likely to happen, as Bellinger led until the final corner of the race at Horspath Road.

But Fernandez had the last laugh on the newly-crowned champion as he produced a storming finish, clawing back Bellinger’s lead of around 40 yards to win at the line by two seconds in 30 mins 36 secs.

It was an extraordinary climax to the season in the best weather conditions of the year so far, Fernandez sharing the runners-up spot with clubmate Simon Fisher, who finished third in the race, clocking 30.49.

With Les Newell crossing the line in sixth place, he helped Abingdon to a creditable third place in the final team race of the season, although they finished fifth overall in Division 1.

There was plenty of local success in the junior age groups, none more so than in the under 11 boys’ event.

Radley’s trio of Robert Crowther, Jonathan Hancox and TJ McClimont wrapped up a 1-2-3 in the overall standings, while in the under 11 girls’ competition, Nawal Elkirate, also from Radley, sewed up the title.

Successes kept coming from Radley.

Megan Humphreys won the last under 13 girls’ race of the season to clinch a share of first place in the final standings.

Christian von Eitzen, who had already wrapped up the under 13 boys’ title, had a crack at the longer distance in the under 15/17 boys’ competition, finishing second, as a guest runner, in 20.20.

To complete Radley’s successful season, George Miller won the race in 20.04 to wrap up the under 17 boys’ title in style.

In the team competitions, Radley were convincing winners in the combined under 15/17 boys’ championship, while they comfortably held on to lift the trophy for the leading under 13 boys’ team.

At veteran level, White Horse Harriers’ Sheila Bailey clinched the vet 55 title.

REESULTS & STANDINGS.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS.

Men: 1 P Fernandez (Abingdon) 30.36, 3 S Fisher (Abingdon) 30.49, 6 L Newell (Abingdon) 31.10, 14 P Jegou (WHH) 32.45.

Under 15/17 boys (under 17 unless stated): 1 G Miller (Radley) 20.04, 6 J Humphreys (Radley) 21.05, 9 M Lomas (WHH, U15) 21.28.

Under 13 boys: 6 C Miller (Radley) 11.53, 9 B Claridge (WHH) 12.14.

Under 11 boys: 1 TJ McClimont (Radley) 4.39, 2 J Hancox (Radley) 4.45, 3 R McKenzie (Abingdon) 4.51, 4 N Wiltshire (Abingdon) 4.53, 5 O Onay (WHH) 4.56, 10 M Crowther (Radley) 5.06.

Under 15/17 girls (under 17 unless stated): 5 G Bridge (Radley) 15.53, 7 C Parker (Abingdon, U15) 16.13, 8 S Fowler (Abingdon, U15) 16.19, 9 B Murphy-Hand (WHH) 16.27.

Under 13 girls: 1 M Humphreys (Radley) 11.34.

Under 11 girls: 1 N Elkirate (Radley) 4.56, 3 H Batstone (Radley) 5.16, 9 S Jackson (Radley) 5.24, 10 G McErlain (Radley) 5.25.

TEAM RESULTS.

Men – Div 1: 3 Abingdon A 275pts, 6 White Horse H A 509. Div 3: 6 Abingdon B 1025.

Women – Div 1: 8 Radley A 255. Div 2: 8= Abingdon A 147.

Under 15/17 boys: 1 Radley A 18pts, 5 White Horse H A 43, 6 Abingdon A 60.

Under 13 boys: 5 Radley A 36, 6 White Horse H A 43, 8 Abingdon A 51.

Under 15/17 girls: 2= Abingdon A, White Horse H A 35, 4 Radley A 38.

Under 13 girls: 4 Radley A 39, 6 White Horse H A 56.

FINAL INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS.

Senior men: 2= P Fernandez (Abingdon) 15, S Fisher (Abingdon) 15, 4 L Newell (Abingdon) 22, 10 P Jegou (WHH) 63.

Under 20 men: 4 S Miller (Radley) 205.

Vet 40 men: 6 C Bedford (Abingdon) 129.

Vet 60 men: 4 T Greenland (Abingdon) 626, 9 J Hinchliffe (Didcot) 842, 10 B Evans (Abingdon) 882.

Senior women: 7= K Adams (Abingdon) 152, 10 N Handsley (Radley) 206.

Under 20 women: 7 J Brewer (Abingdon) 256.

Vet 35 women: 5 S Matthews (Abingdon) 71.

Vet 55 women: 1 S Bailey (WHH) 209, 8 N Blatchford (Abingdon) 4547.

Under 17 boys: 1 G Miller (Radley) 5pts.

Under 15 boys: 3 J Purcell-Lacey (Radley) 44.

Under 13 boys: 1 C von Eitzen (Radley) 4.

Under 11 boys: 1 R Crowther (Radley) 4, 2 J Hancox (Radley) 10, 3 TJ McClimont (Radley) 11.

Under 17 girls: 2 G Bridge (Radley) 20.

Under 13 girls: 1= M Humphreys (Radley).

Under 11 girls: 1 N Elkirate (Radley) 4.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS.

Men – Div 1: 5 Abingdon A 1695, 8 White Horse A 2413. Div 3: 5 Abingdon B 5768, 7 Radley A 6028.

Women – Div 1: 8 Radley A 1142. Div 2: 7 Abingdon A 578.

Under 15/17 boys: 1 Radley A 71pts, 4= White Horse H A, 6 Abingdon A 334, 7 Radley B 372.

Under 13 boys: 1 Radley A 132pts, 5 White Horse H A 212.

Under 15/17 girls: 2 White Horse H A 183, 3 Abingdon A 197, 5 Radley A 232.

Under 13 girls: 4 Radley A 195, 6 White Horse H 294.

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