IN the tightest and most exciting race of the day Hayden Bailey claimed his first Wiltshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships title by the thickness of his vest, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 16-year-old Matravers School student, from the village of Bratton, near Westbury, was locked in a terrific battle with St Augustine’s Rory Howorth, who was racing for the first time on the country after making his England debut indoors just before Christmas.

The pair had edged clear of Corsham School’s Otto Copping in the inter boys’ age group race around the course at Sheldon School, Chippenham, and were clearly preparing themselves for the inevitable sprint finish in the fight for gold.

“Rory and I have been training together recently so we both knew it was going to come down to who could sprint fastest at the end,” said Bailey.

“As we came to the last corner before the finishing straight a marshal shouted out: ‘Who’s going to have it then?’

“Rory said: ‘You can have it’ but that was just his mind games and I thought okay but it won’t be like that for sure and I sprinted hard and just managed to pull away. But there was only a few metres between us at the end.

“I was a long and hard grinding race and I was just glad to finish it!”

For Bailey, a former England champion over 1500m, victory was a sweet moment not just because it was his first county schools’ success on the country but also because it comes after a difficult period of injury which wrecked the second half of 2016.

“I suffered a stress fracture of my left metatarsal and couldn’t run at all last summer,” added Bailey.

“It came on during April/May last year and I didn’t race seriously at all last summer. I did a lot of cross training with weights, circuits, cycling and even walking and that has really paid off.

“Since September I have been working hard to get back to where I was before the injury and this win is a great confidence boost for me. Now I am hoping to stay injury free for the rest of the year.”

After focusing on the indoors for the first half of the winter Howorth can’t be too unhappy with second and Copping finished a safe third.

Dauntsey’s Will Morris enjoyed a more clear-cut victory in the junior boys’ race as he finished 21 seconds ahead of Jack Latus from Wootton Bassett School.

Both the senior and minor boys’ titles went south to Salisbury runners with the Bishop Wordsworth School pair of Jaymee Domoney and Lukas Bailey emerging victorious.

The senior boys age group was particularly strong this year with John of Gaunt’s Freddie Webb, who won the inter boys’ title last year, showing terrific form to finish runner-up with Dauntsey’s Elliot Lassiter third.

The Howorth twins John and Robert, Cameron Perkins of Hardenhuish and John of Gaunt’s Dan Shepherd completed the top eight which will make Wiltshire a strong contender for team glory at the South West Schools’ Championships.

In the girls’ race, Susannah Hirst’s progress from fourth last year to victory in the junior girls’ age group showed good form for the St Mary’s Calne student.

Arguably the happiest winner from the girls’ races would have been Corsham School’s Jade Littlechild.

In her fourth appearance in the event and having finished runner-up on each on those occasions Littlechild made it to top spot with a superb win in the inter girls’ age group.

St Mary’s Calne student Caroline Brenchley was runner-up for a second successive year with South Wilts Grammar School’s Louise Webb third.

Marlborough College newcomer Molly Gibbins dominated the senior girls’ race to win by almost a minute from Chloe Crippen of Swindon New College with Natalie Pidgeon of the hosts Sheldon School a popular third.

Meeting organiser Tim Whiting pronounced the 2017 championships a great success.

Following the closure last summer of Grittleton House School, which had hosted the championships for the past few years, the event was switched to Sheldon School.

“The championship was a very successful event and 296 athletes across eight age groups enjoyed some warm winter sunshine and excellent conditions underfoot,” said Whiting.

“Every athlete made a tremendous effort with positions closely contested; none more so than in the final race where Hayden Bailey and Rory Howarth renewed their rivalry and almost dead-heated for first place. 

“We are indebted to both Sheldon School and Hardenhuish School for enabling us to host the championships on their site. It proved to be an excellent venue. 

“Our special thanks go to Adam Douglas (Sheldon) and Stuart Hughes (Hardenhuish) and their respective PE Departments and students for being so willing to support our championship.

“Also to Neil Spurdell (Head Teacher Sheldon) and Lisa Percy (Head Teacher Hardenhuish) for supporting our championship and for presenting the medals and certificates.

“We are also keen to thank all the many volunteers (116) and BETTER, our championship sponsors, who helped to make 2017 another very successful event.”

Wiltshire will now be sending a strong team to represent the county at the South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships in Truro on Saturday February 4 before making the final selections for the English Championships in Norwich on Saturday March 18.

Wiltshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships, Sheldon School, Chippenham, Senior girls: 1 Molly Gibbins (Mc) 15:35; 2 Chloe Crippen (SNC) 16:26; 3 Natalie Pidgeon (SH) 16:43; 4 Beth Puzio (SW) 16:45; 5 Jess Tregoning (G) 17:05; 6 Alice Uloth (SW) 17:35; 7 Kiera Reavill (SW) 17:48; 8 Emma Pike (SW) 17:58; 9 Abbie Short (S) 18:57; 10 Chelsea Pearce (S) 19:05.

Inter girls: 1 Jade Littlechild (C ) 14:29; 2 Caroline Brenchley (SM) 14:53; 3 Louise Webb (SW) 16:10; 4 Isobel Horsfield (G) 16:16; 5 Lucy Fitzpatrick (SM) 16:17; 6 Catriona Edington (D) 16:18; 7 Sophie Capel (WB) 16:21; 8 Dara Kelly (LP) 16:29; 9 Davina Gray (SM) 16:32; 10 Maddie George (D) 16:32.

Junior girls: 1 Susannah Hirst (SM) 12:37; 2 Olivia Roderick (TS) 12:45; 3 Katie Robinson (SL) 12:51; 4 Orli Cranston (K) 12:52; 5 Sophie Smith (M) 13:04; 6 Anna Payne (WA) 13:09; 7 Megan Wright (H) 13:18; 8 Imogen Tanner (LS); 9 Ayla Tonkin (R) 13:23; 10 Lavinia Rai (LP) 13:25.

Minor girls: 1 Freya Buglass (SA) 9:11; 2 Ophelia Pye (D) 9:14; 3 Nynka Rucker (SH) 9:33; 4 Elizzabeth Norton (SW) 9:41; 5 Lilly Jones TS) 9:45; 6 Jadey Griscti (TS) 9:47; 7 Beth Davidson (R ) 9:57; 8 Kelly-Marie Marsh (CW) 9:58; 9 Josie Rucker (SH) 10:12; 10 Jessie Wills (SH) 10:20.

Senior boys: 1 Jaymee Domoney (BW) 22:24; 2 Freddie Webb (JG) 22:38; 3 Elliot Lassiter (D) 22:50; 4 Will Stockley (M) 22:54; 5 Robert Howorth (SA) 23:35; 6 Cameron Perkins (H) 24:03; 7 John Howorth (SA) 24:08; 8 Dan Shepherd (JG) 24:54; 9 Mark Poynting (BW) 25:16; 10 Jacob Bacon (C ) 25:59.

Inter boys: 1 Hayden Bailey (Ma) 19:30; 2 Rory Howorth (SA) 19:30; 3 Otto Copping (C ) 19:52; 4 Dan Davis (SJ) 20:04; 5 James Wright (H) 20:09; 6 Ethan Pierce (A) 20:13; 7 Charlie Stockley (M) 20:18; 8 Nial Thorne (SJ) 20:21; 9 Rohan Acher (H) 20:24; 10 Daniel Poynting (BW) 20:31.

Junior boys: 1 Will Morris (D) 13:49; 2 Jack Latus (WB) 14:10; 3 Patrick Mochan (LP) 14:18; 4 James Gordon (SA) 14:20; 5 Dan Grant (LP) 14:21; 6 Robert Jones (BW) 14:24; 7 Harry Cunningham (R ) 14:28; 8 Fergal Brophy (H) 14:30; 9 Sam Butt (TS) 14:31; 10 Bertie Pettit (TS) 14:32.

Minor boys: 1 Lukas Bailey (BW) 10:12; 2 Joseph Wills (S) 10:43; 3 Guy Mitchell (BW) 10:45;4 Harry Bradley (Mm) 10:50; 5 Ben Jones (L) 10:52; 6 Alex Allman (Mm) 10:53; 7 E Tabor (D) 10:57; 8 Brady Venn (H) 10:58; 9 Evan Osborne (TS) 10:58; 10 Finley Roberts (WC) 10:59.

KEY:  A=Abbeyfield; BW=Bishop’s Wordsworth; C=Corsham School; CW=Commonweal School; D=Dauntsey’s; G=Godolphin; H=Hardenhuish; JG=John of Gaunt; K=Kingdown; L=Lavington; LP=Lydiard Park Academy; LS=Leehurst Swan School; M=Melksham; Ma=Mattravers; Mc=Marlborough College; Mm=Malmesbury; R=Ridgeway; S=Stonar School; SA=St Augustine’s; SH=Sheldon School; SJ=St John’s Community; SL=St Laurence School; SM=St Mary’s Calne; SNC=Swindon New College; SW=South Wilts Grammar School for Girls; TS=Trafalgar School Downton; WA=Warminster; WB=Wootton Bassett; WC=Wyvern College.