Cross Country - King Cole seals Mid-Lancs final spoils (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cross Country - King Cole seals Mid-Lancs final spoils

1:03pm Saturday 19th March 2011 in Sport

MEDALS were at stake for some Kendal AC runners in the final race in the Mid-Lancs Cross Country series at Beacon Park, Skelmersdale.

Kendal AAC U11 Cole Blaikie held his nerve and with 100 metres to go he was lying in second place, but a determined last effort saw him pull ahead to win by six seconds.

Luke Patinson's first season has seen him climb up the results table to be a well-earned 16th.

Newcomer to the team Dan Portman made his debut in 26th.

Under-13 Erin Procter ran strongly in 14th, with Milly Morgan-Mythan 23rd.

U13 Sam Pattinson saved a little for a good finish to be 33rd.

Running the same course, U15 Bella Gray continues to show great promises with an eighth place, with team-mate Chloe Holhead pulling through strongly for 19th.

After last week's 18th in a 300-strong field at the Inter-Counties races, U15 James Knox was fired up for another chalenge.

He pushed hard up the tough hill at the end of the first lap and kept on the pressure on the descent to pull clear of his nearest rival for a convincing victory.

In the same race Mark Sullivan was tripped from behind as the course narrowed on to a gravel track 100 metres after the start.

Although he sustained a gravel rash on his shoulder and hip, he got up and ran his best race to date for 10th place.

Senior woman Dianne Priestley finished just behind first V55 and was 42nd overall.

Jackie Wain ended her season with 48th and Kath Windrow was 53rd, 9th v45.

It was a cracking senior men's race.

Leader for most of the way was Border's James Douglas, with Luke Minns of Blackpool and Alasdair Russell giving chase.

The turning point came on the final climb as Minns edged in front to take the spoils with Douglas second and Russell a very happy third.

There was a surprise appearance by veteran Les Stephenson, 145th, who was chased home by Dave Wright in 150th.

To find out who won the series honours, see next week's Westmorland Gazette.