THERE will have been no other athlete more delighted than Katie Strange with her performance at the Wiltshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

For the 14-year-old Hardenhuish School student from Chippenham, the bronze medal she won in the inter girls’ race will have glowed as bright as any gold such was her satisfaction at returning to action with a result that far exceeded her expectations.

“Her face when he finished was a picture, Katie was delighted,” said proud mum Sarah.

That’s because Katie has battled to overcome the debilitating effects of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) which forced her to give up her sport last year and even take time off school.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that her life was turned upside down so to mark her comeback with such a superb run was more than she could have dreamed of to open 2016.

“Katie started feeling ill in November 2014 and by November she had to stop running and going to school,” explained Sarah.

“During Christmas 2014 it was all we could do to get her out of the house for an hour or so she was feeling so bad and then in January 2015 the problem was diagnosed as ME/CFS.

“She was told that she couldn’t do any sport at all and had to rest. It was very tough as running was her love and passion but Katie is a very determined character and kept setting herself little targets.

“She didn’t meet some but the county schools’ was one she had set for herself and after starting light training she was hoping to make the top eight to qualify for the South West Schools’ Championships.

“So to finish third left her absolutely delighted.”

A measure of Strange's talent and determination was that she was able to celebrate her comeback with such an impressive result as she chased home 16-year-old John of Gaunt student Caitlin Wosika and Caroline Brenchley, of St Mary’s Calne.

Wosika last won the county title as a junior two years ago but since making her debut as a minor girl in 2012 she can now boast two golds, two silvers a bronze.

Remarkably, it was Strange's first medal at the event having previously finished fifth and ninth as she continues her fight against the illness.

“So many boys and girls get ME/CFS and all too often you don’t hear the good stories of someone getting better and coming back to health so hopefully this shows it can be done,” explained Sarah.

“Katie is still part time at school and was wiped out after Saturday but now she is looking forward to the South West and English Schools’ Championships.”

Sheldon School’s Gemma Shepherd enjoyed the biggest and least surprising win of the day.

The 18-year-old, from Yatesbury, dominated the senior girls’ race from the gun to retain her title by the commanding margin of 2mins 25secs from fellow

Sheldon runner Elen Lindsay with Africa Wyles Saracibar of Dauntsey’s a close third.

To underline Shepherd’s success in this event since making her debut as a junior girl in 2011 she has now accumulated four golds from five starts with a silver in 2014 when beaten by Malmesbury’s Zoe Wassell in the inter girls’ race.

“That was my last Wiltshire Schools’ Championships so it was quite sad really,” said Shepherd.

“I see to have been running them for a long time so it was nice to go out on a high.”

Shepherd didn’t push herself too hard as she was also racing the next day finishing a fine seventh in the U20 women’s race at the British Cross Challenge fixture in Cardiff.

St Augustine’s Catholic College student Rory Howorth looks like being one of the county’s best hopes at the South West Schools’ Championships in Cheltenham a week on Saturday (February 6).

The 13-year-old from Hilperton comfortably retained his junior boys’ title as he ran away from the Bishop Wordsworth’s pair of Daniel Poynting and Robert Croager.

Abigail Burn of South Wilts Girls Grammar was crowned junior girls’ champion with Sophie Smith of St John’s School Marlborough runner-up and Hardenhuish’s India Ibbotson third.

There was a Salisbury clean sweep of the medals in the minor girls’ race with Warminster’s Anna Payne fourth while the minor boys’ title went to Robert Jones of Bishop Wordsworth.

COUNTY CHAMPIONS

Will Stockley (Melksham Oak) – senior boys; Freddie Webb (The John of Gaunt) – inter boys; Rory Howorth (St Augustine’s) – junior boys; Robert Jones (Bishop Wordsworth) – minor boys; Gemma Shepherd (Sheldon) – senior girls; Caitlin Wosika (The John of Gaunt) – inter girls; Abigail Burn (South Wilts Girls Grammar) – junior girls; Olivia Roderick (St Edmund’s Girls) – minor girls.

RESULTS

(Top 10 places in each category only)

Senior boys: 1 Will Stockley (WW) 23:17; 2 Cameron Perkins (NW) 23:51; 3 Elliott Lassiter (K) 24:06; 4 Jacob Payne (NW) 24:47; 5 Jacob Bacon (NW) 25:06; 6 Dan Shepherd (WW) 25:25; 7 Aidan Daniel (NW) 25:53; 8 Sam Rockett (WW) 26:24; 9 Jay Painter (NW) 27:23; 10 Rhys Lock (NW) 28:02. 15 finishers.

Teams: 1 North Wilts 18.

Inter boys: 1 Freddie Webb (WW) 19:57; 2 Hayden Bailey (WW) 20:00; 3 Henry Dixon (WW) 20:01; 4 Josh Shuter (S) 20:44; 5 Otto Copping (NW) 20:52; 6 Jack Bennett (S) 21:03; 7 Dan Davis (K) 21:20; 8 Ethan Pierce (NW) 21:22; 9 Joe Castle (SW) 21:31; 10 Charlie Stockley (WW) 21:36. 35 finishers.

Teams: 1 West Wilts 44; 2 Salisbury 72; 3 NW 92.

Junior boys: 1 Rory Howorth (NW) 14:02; 2 Daniel Poynting (S) 14:44; 3 Robert Croager (S) 15:03; 4 Jordan Murray (NW) 15:110; 5 Max Sockett (NW) 15:55; 6 William Morris (K) 15:19; 7 Nick Battye (SW) 15:25; 8 Thomas Musselwhite (S) 15:30; 9 Kye Teague (WW) 15:31; 10 Kyle Scott (NW) 15:33. 40 finishers.

Teams: 1 Sal 59; 2 NW 71; 3 Swindon 99; 4 WW 105; 5 Kennet 183.
Minor boys: 1 Robert Jones (S) 9:35; 2 Harry Wood (SW) 9:48; 3 Oliver Phillips (S) 9:53; 4 Aidan McMullan (S) 9:58; 5 Lewis Leftwich (S) 9:59; 6 Daniel Grant (SW) 10:01; 7 Charles Hall (NW) 10:03; 8 Ben Latham (NW) 10:03; 9 Will Andrews (WW) 10:04; 10 Byron Lloyd-Gilmour (S) 10:04. 48 finishers.

Teams: 1 Sal 37; 2 NW 70; 3 Swi 96; 4 WW 140; 5 Ken 210.

Senior girls: 1 Gemma Shepherd (NW) 15:12; 2 Elen Lindsay (NW) 17:37; 3 Africa Wyles Saracibar (K) 17:39; 4 Edith Brazier (S) 18;27; 5 Hannah Thomas (WW) 18:30; 6 Izzy Dickson (S) 18:31; 7 Holly Newman (WW) 18:39; 8 Kiera Reavill (S) 19:01; 9 Emma Pike (S) 19:19; 10 Liberty Nicholls (WW) 19:44. 15 finishers.

Teams: 1 Sal 27; 2 NW 32.

Inter girls: 1 Caitlin Wosika (WW) 16:14; 2 Caroline Brenchley (NW) 16:32; 3 Katie Strange (NW) 16:46; 4 Lucy Fitzpatrick (NW) 16:53; 5 Lucy Buffham (NW) 17:06; 6 Chloe Hayward (SW) 17:08; 7 Chloe Crippen (SW) 17:14; 8 Karla Jackson (K) 17:29; 9 Lily Battersby (S) 17:46; 10 Catriona Edington (K) 17:56. 33 finishers.

Teams: 1 NW 41; 2 Sal 87; 3 WW 104; 4 Swi 122.

Junior girls: 1 Abigail Burn (S) 12:11; 2 Sophie Smith (K) 12:39; 3 India Ibbotson (NW) 12:45; 4 Susannah Hirst (NW) 12:45; 5 Louise Webb (S) 12:53; 6 Megan Poole (SW) 12:54; 7 Madeleine Aldam-Gates (WW) 13:02; 8 Katie Robinson (WW) 13:03; 9 Isabella Goulding (S) 13:17; 10 Davina Gray (NW) 13:26. 45 finishers.

Teams: 1 NW 57; 2 Sal 73; 3 Swi 113; 4 Ken 135; 5 WW 144.

Minor girls: 1 Olivia Roderick (S) 10:09; 2 Rose Warren (S) 10:25; 3 Imogen Tanner (S) 10:36; 4 Anna Payne (WW) 10:40; 5 Orli Cranston (WW) 10:43; 6 Virginia Jacobs (K) 10:56; 7 Alice Thornton (S) 11:05; 8 Ayla Tonkin (SW)) 11:07; 9 Bluebell Jenner (S) 11:12; 10 Rub-Lee Allen (S) 11:13. 50 finishers.

Teams: 1 Sal 32; 2 WW 82; 3 NW 140; 4 Ken 147; 5 Swi 160.

Key: K=Kennet; NW=North Wiltshire; WW=West Wiltshire; S=Salisbury; SW=Swindon

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