The 2012-13 League drew to a close on an beautiful sunny day on 2nd March with some excellent racing that sorted out the final league positions.
Girls Years 3-4
Gee Cross Holy Trinity were already confirmed in top spot after race 5 and chose not to field a team for the final race. The focus was on the race between Norbury Hall and Hazel Grove for the 2nd and 3rd spots. Both improved their league scores, but Hazel Grove did enough to overhaul Norbury Hall and secure 2nd place by a 4 point margin.
After 5 events Daisy Keigher, Ludworth Primary, headed the table with a score of 7 from her best 4 races, but her position was under threat from Leah Wilkinson, Vernon Park, who had 3 wins from the 3 races she had done. Another win would have taken her past Daisy, but had to settle for 2nd place behind Daisy after an excellent race, which left the two tied at the top of the League. Betty Hall of Norbury Hall slipped slipped from 2nd, but did enough to keep in the top 3.
Boys Years 3-4
Norbury Hall had already won the League coming into the final race and confirmed their position adding another win. Below them St Mary’s retained their second spot with ease as their closest competitor, Gee Cross did not contest the last race and settled for third.
Alex McLachlan of Norbury Hall chose not to compete in the final race having already won the League by virtue of winning the 4 races out of 4. Thomas Boyd, with 7 points from only 3 races knew that a good final race could place him in the top 3 and after a hard fought race with his main contenders Henry Carne of Romiley and Bow Hornby of Norbury Hall he claimed 2nd spot by coming 1st in the race, with Henry and Bow close behind in 3rd and 4th spots, which gave Henry 3rd place overall.
Girls Years 5-6:
Ladybrook had the top spot sewn-up before the last race and duly showed their strength in winning the last race in the series. Stockport Grammar failed to get out a full team for the last race allowing High Lane Primary to overtake them on the podium by improving their score for their best 4 races.
Mollie Cooke of Ladybrook complemented her team’s achievement in like fashion: sewing-up the title before last race and also winning the last race. Behind her, Evie Wild, High Lane Primary and Imogen Porteous Williams, Banks Lane, held on to their respective 2nd and 3rd places by placing 5th and 4th in the final race.
Boys Years 5-6:
Great Moor team led Stockport Grammar School by one point going into the final race and put in a gold-winning effort by improving their overall score by 11 points to lead Stockport GS by 12 points by the end of the race. Banks Lane had already secured 3rd spot before the final race, but put on a good show to improve their overall score by 12 points.
Joe Davidson of Stockport Grammar had won the league title with one race to go, but went on to show his running ability by taking his 5th win out of 6 races. Harry Hince of St Joseph’s Reddish made his 4th appearance in the League and by taking 2nd place in the race took 2nd place in the League, overtaking Dominic Crossland of great Moor, who came 4th in the race and 3rd overall.
Acknowledgements
I would to thank all the children who took part in the Leagues for providing a well fought competition, their managers, family and friends for supporting them, St John Ambulance for tending to those needing medical attention, members of Stockport Harriers who helped set out and put away equipment, administer and marshal the race, and serve refreshments and those members of the public who stepped in to marshal at short notice.