Hastings AC talents star in Sussex and beyond

None more so than Harmony Cooper, who produced a phenomenal run to come eighth in the under-15 girls’ race at the British Athletics Cross Challenge series event in Milton Keynes.

The series attracts the top athletes from around the country and Cooper finished ahead of several people who have run for England, including a girl who won the Inter-Counties Championships last year.

Hastings AC also performed well in the second match of the Sussex Cross-Country League season at a rain-soaked Lancing Manor on Saturday.

Nine-year-old prospect Ziggy Henry produced a brilliant run to come second in the under-11 race, with Isaiah Wilson fourth.

Erica Body had a great race to finish third in the under-13 girls’ event, while Shannon Hopkins-Parry battled through a painful stitch to make the top 10. Freya Henry was 26th.

Jonas Judah, who has only just turned 11, was fourth and Carlos Nieto-Parr eighth in the under-13 boys’ race.

Maya Ramnarine was a convincing winner of the under-15 girls’ race and Evie Clements had her best race to date to finish fifth. Hannah Blomfield was 16th.

George Pool came second in the under-15 boys’ event, with Isaac Elam 11th, James Crombie 13th, Dylan Bolton 28th and Lewis Courtnage 41st.

Joe Body and Marcus Ramnarine were 16th and 17th respectively in the under-17 boys’ race, with Aaron Judah 21st.

Rhys Boorman was just outside the top 10 in the senior men’s race on a challenging course which was muddy in places.

Hastings AC also fielded a large contingent of runners in the East Sussex Sunday Cross-Country League event at a beautifully sunny Warren Hill the following day.

Gary Foster, off the back of 10k victories the previous two weekends, continued his fine form with a decent run to finish third on another testing course.

Dan Anderson was seventh and Stuart Piper 12th, while Paul Bennett and Ben McCallion made the top 25.

Paul McCleery was 35th, Karen Murdoch 53rd, Pete Blomfield 63rd, Bill Darby 77th, Harry Trend 81st, Martin Watts 85th, Dean Garry 87th, Caitlin Miller 97th, Riz Maslen 98th and Lorna Watts 100th.

Foster and a few other Hastings AC runners will join several thousand others on the start line at the Brighton 10K this weekend.

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