Let’s hear it for the girls
Date published: 18 November 2009
Photo: Vincent Brown
FIRST PLACE: Lucy Vernon, of Blue Coat, shows off her medal after winning the Year Eight race.
Blue Coat are treble tops
CROSS COUNTRY: BLUE COAT recorded a hat-trick of individual wins in the senior girls section of the Oldham Schools Cross-Country Championships at Chadderton Hall Park.
Lucy Vernon, Katie Zelem and Emma Peters showed their rivals a not-so-clean pair of heels — conditions underfoot were decidedly muddy — to come top of the podium in their respective Year races.
But while Blue Coat celebrated a superb treble, Crompton House swept the board on the team front, winning each of the four age categories.
Vernon led the way in the Year Eight race, from Kirsty Ashworth and Lucy Kershaw, both of Crompton House.
Zelem was first to cross the line in the Year Nines — Crompton House duo Lauren Crisp and Beth Mellor were second and third respectively — and Peters completed the Blue Coat hat-trick with victory in the Year 10/11 race.
Jane Boyden was the runner-up for Crompton House, with team-mate Lauren Warrington in third.
Year Seven honours went to Darcy Hobson, of Hulme, from Saddleworth’s Georgina Ragan, with Ellie Donohoe (South Chadderton) following the pair home.
Despite their dominance on the individual front, Blue Coat had to settle for second-best in the Year Nine and Year 10/11 races, while they were third in Year Eight.
Individual —
Year Seven: 1, Darcy Hobson (Hulme); 2, Georgina Ragan (Saddleworth); 3, Ellie Donohoe (South Chadderton).
Year Eight: 1, Lucy Vernon (Blue Coat); 2, Kirsty Ashworth (Crompton House); 3, Lucy Kershaw (Crompton House).
Year Nine: 1, Katie Zelem (Blue Coat); 2, Lauren Crisp (Crompton House); 3, Beth Mellor (Royton and Crompton).
Year 10/11: 1, Emma Peters (Blue Coat); 2, Jane Boyden (Crompton House); 3, Lauren Warrington (Crompton House).
Team —
Year Seven: 1, Crompton House; 2, Saddleworth; 3, Royton and Crompton.
Year Eight: 1, Crompton House; 2, Saddleworth; 3, Blue Coat.
Year Nine: Crompton House; 2, Blue Coat; 3, Saddleworth.
Year 10/11: Crompton House; 2, Blue Coat; 3, Saddleworth.
