WILTSHIRE SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY: That's Nott a bad comeback (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

WILTSHIRE SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY: That's Nott a bad comeback

7:00am Friday 27th January 2012 in General Sport By Dan Barnes

JOHN Bentley School’s Simon Nott was delighted with his podium finish in the senior boys’ race at the Wiltshire Schools Cross Country Championships, as he continues his comeback from injury.

The 18-year-old, from Calne, finished third at the weekend but continued his recovery from the mystery stress fracture in his left tibia, which sidelined him for the second half of last year.

“I picked it up in the beginning of July and it put me out until December,’’ said Nott.

“I spoke to my physio and we’re fairly unsure (how it happened) but it’s something that I’ve had to deal with and I’ve recovered quite well from it really.

“There’s a lot of cross country this time of year. I’m probably more suited to road running but it’s great for fitness and good fun.”

Dauntsey’s School’s Will Christofi, 17, took gold in the Senior Boys, pipping New College Swindon’s Nyle Clinton, who beat him to first place in last year’s intermediate boys race.

Christofi said: “It was a very good race and it started at a steady pace in a nice, tight group. Nyle and I pushed each other quite hard so I was really pleased to just manage to squeeze through.”

England international Loren Bleaken, from Marshfield, maintained her impressive record at the championships by winning the intermediate girls.

“I was expecting to do well because I’ve won every year, so I was really happy with the result,” said the 16-year-old, who goes to Hardenhuish School and is representing England in the 600m relay at next Sunday’s Celtic Indoor Cup in Cardiff.

County team-mate Alex Stainthorpe, 18, of Sheldon School, from Hartham also tasted success as she won the senior girls’ race.

“It was a good race and I’m team-mates with Lauren who won her race too, so that was good,” she said.

“We did the same sort of thing at the regionals. It was a surprise to win – I wasn’t really expecting it.”

Another Sheldon pupil, 14-year-old Gemma Shepherd, from Yatesbury, was the fastest junior girl for the second consecutive year.

She said: “It was really good and I was hoping for a win but it was much harder than I thought it would be.”

North Wiltshire topped the team standings at the end of the day with 36 points, 11 points ahead of second-placed Salisbury, with West Wiltshire third with 18.

Wiltshire Schools Athletics Association chairman and organiser Tim Whiting hailed the championships’ landmark 80th year as the greatest in its history.

He said: “It’s about giving the service to the athletes that they should be getting. Wiltshire has got some top class athletes and superb coaches and it’s our job to lay on a championship worthy of them.

“The whole set up at Grittelton House is excellent. George Lewis, the head of PE and the head teacher Nathan Dawes, always assist to help ensure that we can host a successful championship.’’