Ross finished in eighth, passing the Portuguese fourth counter with his trademark fast kick in the last 200m
Two of the club's junior athletes made club history on Saturday, Ross Miliington and Jessica Coulson both competed for the Great Britain team at the same international cross country race held in Lisbon.
The pair who are still in the under-17 age group represented the team in the older under-20s category.
The competition was held in the urban park and was a typical international cross country course over fast, flat terrain.
On a dry foggy day, it wasn't looking good from a spectators point of view, visibility was down to about 50 metres. But two minutes before the start of the junior women's race the fog that had hung around all morning disappeared.
The race was 3.5k and got off to a lightning start on the first lap with the British girls taking the race to the Portuguese.
Led by Charlotte Purdue and Jess Coulson and closely followed by Emma Pallant the three broke away from the main pack.
Purdue and Jess opened up a gap of 6 metres on Pallant as they battled it out on the last lap of the 3.5km course. Jess valiantly tried to break Purdue who eventually managed to take 10 metres on Jess and was just out-kicked on the line by the fast finishing Pallant for a 1-2-3 for the GB team.
1st C. Purdue (11.52), 2nd E. Pallant (11.55), 3rd J. Coulson (11.56).
Ross Millington making his debut for GB was pleased with his run in a super fast race that was won by Portuguese runner Tiago Costa.
Ross finished in the top ten in eighth, passing the Portuguese fourth counter with his trademark fast kick in the last 200 metres.
- Talented teens excel in Lisbon (UK Athletics)
M/cr Area Cross Country Match 4 - Wythenshaw Park
| Under-13 Female | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | AMIE HUGHES | 10:47 | ||
| 8 | IMOGEN NUTTER | 11:15 | ||
| 15 | NICOLA BERRY | 12:02 | ||
| 19 | SARAH TIPPING | 12:15 | ||
| 21 | SAMANTHA WILSON | 12:24 | ||
| Under-15 Female | ||||
| 2 | MICHELLE WIBLIN | 13:00 | ||
| 14 | AMBER WHEWELL | 14:43 | ||
| Under-17 Female | ||||
| 1 | LEAH KAY | 15:54 | ||
| 4 | SARAH KAY | 17:42 | ||
| 9 | JENNIFER BAUER | 20:10 | ||
| Under-20 Female | ||||
| 1 | CARLEY DAVIES | 24:05 | ||
| 2 | CARLA STANSFIELD | 25:50 | ||
| Senior Female | ||||
| 6 | HELEN HUDSON | 26:40 | ||
| 10 | TONI McINTOSH | 27:17 | ||
| 20 | MICHELA STEPTO | FV40 5th | 28:12 | |
| 30 | KAREN McCRACKLE | 29:31 | ||
| 38 | MARYTE MOORE | FV45 6th | 31:08 | |
| 44 | JENNIFER HOPES | 31:57 | ||
| 53 | MARIE KAY | 33:15 | ||
| 59 | ALEXIS DINSMOR | FV55 1st | 34:28 | |
| 60 | JANET BOOKER | FV50 4th | 34:45 | |
| 63 | MAUREEN WILKINS | 35:32 | ||
| Under-13 Male | ||||
| 5 | JACK NIXON | 12:49 | ||
| 10 | SAM BOWDEN | 13:21 | ||
| 12 | JAMIE HENDERSON | 13:54 | ||
| Under-15 Male | ||||
| 2 | MICHAEL LOGUE | 14:52 | ||
| 9 | NATHAN LUDLAIN | 15:36 | ||
| 15 | HARRY LONG | 16:08 | ||
| 18 | DAVID THOMPSON | 16:24 | ||
| Under-17 Male | ||||
| 1 | MICHAEL COOKE | 19:54 | ||
| 6 | TOM PRIESTLEY | 21:43 | ||
| 9 | PHIL NIXON | 23:26 | ||
| Senior Male | ||||
| 6 | JAMIE LOXAM | 33:17 | ||
| 7 | ANDREW NIXON | MU20 1st | 33:31 | |
| 31 | ANDY PAVEY | 35:42 | ||
| 50 | MIKE SHAW | 37:16 | ||
| 53 | BILL SHONE | 37:21 | ||
| 73 | HUW MORRIS | 39:46 | ||
| 76 | MIKE NIXON | 39:59 | ||
| 82 | PETE NIXON | 40:22 | ||
| 87 | PAUL STEPTOE | 40:37 | ||
| 135 | CHRIS BRYANS | 48:47 | ||
| 138 | ROB TAYLOR | 51:36 | ||
Cheshire County Cross Country Championships
Report: Pete Torrence
On a very wet and windy day four young Stockport Harriers made the short drive to compete in the Cheshire Cross Country Championships at Knights Grange, Winsford to take on the local Cheshire clubs, on a very undulating muddy course.
In the under-11 girls' race Molly Hetherington (pictured) in her first year in this age group showing the good form that she has been in started very strongly being in the front group and kept up the pace right to the finish to take 3rd place behind winner, Macclesfield's Bethany Burrows.
Francesca Parrott who was taking part in her first race found the going a bit tough but finished very strongly to take 28th in the same race.
The under-11 boys' race over the same course the pace was very fast but Jamie Parrott kept up to have one of his best races this season to finish a very creditable 8th.
In the under-15 girls' race Becky Hetherington coming back from injury, had to take on a very muddy course that had made the going tough but ran well to finish in 12th place in a very strong field.
Derbyshire ladies leave the men standing
Report: Isaac
It turned out to be ladies' day in the Derbyshire Cross Country Championships on Saturday - a hilly quagmire of a course at Kirby-in-Ashfield meant conditions underfoot were in need of 12-15mm spikes, those athletes racing without struggled on the thick clay mud inclines.
Continuing her excellent recent form Michela Stepto finished 9th overall and 1st V40 with a time of 34-05 in the 8k Senior ladies' event, beating Katherine Harvey of Altrincham by 11 seconds to claim her gold medal.
Amber Whewell's time of 21-57 claimed 7th spot in the under-15 4k event in a race won by Tamara Armoush in 19-29 - both Michela and Amber will now go on to represent Derbyshire in the Inter Counties Championships televised by Sky TV and scheduled to be held at Woolerton Park on March 24th.
In the male seniors' race Sean Whewell was first home for the Harriers in 48-11 on the 10k course followed by Paul Stepto in 50-29 - a high quality field in this event was led home by Andy Wilton from Derby AC in 38-26.
In the under-17 event Cameron Stuart finished 11th with a time of 25-54 for the 6k course which was won by Rob Love form Amber Valley in 22-37.
Sale Festive Five
A large number from the Harriers rounded the year off by running the Sale Festive Five on a cool and breezy New Year's Eve around Wythenshawe Park.
Andy Nixon broke the 26 minute barrier in his first attempt at the distance, finishing 14th in a quality field where over 60 ran under 30 minutes.
Helen Todd set a new V50 record with 38-07.
| Position | Name | Category / Position | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Andy Nixon | M / 14 | 25:54 |
| 24 | Mike Shaw | M40 / 3 | 26:49 |
| 55 | Alan Power | M55 / 2 | 29:43 |
| 57 | Huw Morris | M45 / 4 | 29:47 |
| 58 | Jenny Knass | F / 4 | 29:48 |
| 61 | Ben Gregory | M50 / 6 | 29:51 |
| 71 | John Parrott | M50 / 8 | 30:18 |
| 73 | Andy Oldham | M / 40 | 30:20 |
| 74 | Leah Kay | F / 6 | 30:26 |
| 103 | Mike Nixon | M45 / 11 | 32:53 |
| 126 | Vicky Barrett | F40 / 3 | 34:15 |
| 184 | Chris Bryans | M65 / 3 | 37:16 |
| 202 | Helen Todd | F50 / 4 | 38:07 |
| 203 | Dave Gosling | M60 / 6 | 38:08 |
| 236 | Maureen Wilkins | F40 / 9 | 40:29 |
| 298 | Carole Nixon | F45 / 7 | 44:26 |
| 299 | Julie Aikin | F45 / 8 | 44:30 |
| 347 | Sue Howard | F55 / 5 | 52:30 |
| 359 | Elaine Devine | F / 76 | 63:03 |
Harriers on international duty
Report: Dave Turnbull
Ross Millington and Jessica Coulson have both been selected to run for Great Britain at the Junior International in Lisbon, Portugal on January 14th. The pair who have just got back from international duty will both run at the club's Boxing Day run in preparation before the big race.
Coach Dave Turnbull said “This is great news for the pair who work so hard, they both put so much into training, not just down at the club on training nights, but in their daily life, they both understand what sacrifices you have to make to achieve your goals.”
Recently internationals Steve Vernon and Jessica Coulson both ran for Great Britain at this year's European Cross Country Championships which were held in San Giorgio, just outside Milan.
Jess, who was the youngest on the Junior team at 16-years-old, ran outstandingly to come in 14th place.
The GB team easily taking gold from Russia with winner Steph Twell taking the individual honours, Emily Pidgeon 4th, Sian Edwards 6th, Abbey Westley 10th, Jess 14th and Olivia Kenney 18th, all pictured on the cover of last week's Athletics Weekly.
Steve Vernon was unfortunate in his race after cramping up at the 6k point and was unable to finish.
But this weekend he put it behind him at the Lotto Cross Cup held in Brussells.
Both he and Ross Millington were selected to run for England and didn't dissapoint the selectors.
Again Ross, who is just 16-years-old, in the Under-20s race had a good run in the muddy course to finish 9th.
Steve took 7th and was only seven seconds down on European Cross silver medalist Fernando Silva of Portugal.
The three take a short break before resuming training which will hopefully culminate in three Stockport Harriers representing Team GB at this year's World Cross Country Championships to be held in Mombaasa, Kenya.
Woodbank Park Improvement Petition
A petition is being organised to try to get the Council to make Woodbank Park more user friendly on dark evenings. We would like extra lighting installing from Park Drive to the track and also round the 1,000 metre circuit. This would make the journey to and from the track safer and would also allow use of the roads in the park over winter, reducing the dependence on the track for training. It would also make the road humps and puddles more visible.
The petition is available for signing in the Club House. We would like as many people as possible to sign (Club members and parents) so that it carries more weight with the Council.
The petition is to be presented to the Mayor by two of our junior members at a special meeting in the Town Hall on Tuesday, 19th December at 5-45pm.
We would like as many members and parents as possible to attend to emphasise the feeling and interest of the Club in this important matter.