ATHLETICS - Coventry Godiva Harriers ladies' narrowly miss out on promotion in last cross-country fixture of season - The Coventry Observer

ATHLETICS - Coventry Godiva Harriers ladies' narrowly miss out on promotion in last cross-country fixture of season

Coventry Editorial 25th Feb, 2022 Updated: 2nd Mar, 2022   0

COVENTRY GODIVA HARRIERS ladies’ team narrowly missed out on promotion to Division One in the Midland Women’s Cross Country League after securing a fourth place finish.

Despite Storm Eunice creating muddy and wet conditions, Amelia Starling came home eighth for Godiva in Bromsgrove to secure third-place in the senior women’s category overall.

Following Starling home was Eleanor Crossland in 45th, Jayne Mumford in 65th and Vicky Wilson in 116th who marked her return from major shoulder surgery to compete for the first time since November.

This left the A team in 11th place on the day which meant fourth position overall to miss out on promotion and team medal by one place.




And the B team were just one person short of completing a team as Rhea Porwal 169th (seventh under-20), Flavie Rasson 198th and Sanchita Porwal 209th all finished.

It was an inspiring debut for the Porwal sisters who could not have picked worse conditions to make their respective debuts in.


Individual medals were achieved by Samantha Puri who took silver in the under-20 category and Starling who won bronze in the senior women’s category.

The individual competition is based off runners’ best three results across the course of the season.

And Godiva’s men travelled to Leamington with Ali Smith bringing the team home in 32nd with Jo McLeod producing a superb run to closely follow in 36th.

Matt Battley was next home in 45th, with Scott Hudspith 48th, Jamie Hnatushka 53rd and Damien Chamberfort completing the A team in 71st.

This left the men seventh on the day which saw them finish ninth overall to secure another season in the top division of the Birmingham and District Cross Country League.

And leading the B team home was Clark Roberts in 78th whilst Sam Marshall secured a first top-100 finish after placing 99th.

Daniel Dalton 132nd, Pete Eccleston 136th, Stephan Schlag 153rd and Matt Hadlum 159th completed the team.

Schlag was racing in a Godiva vest for the last time as he returns to his native Germany in April whilst Hadlum matched his personal best (PB).

And the B team finished fifth on the day and fifth overall sandwiched between Worcester AC and Leamington AC.

Other finishers include: Jason Brotherhood 163rd, Michael Todd 171st, Michael Katsoulis 176th (who improved 50 places since the first fixture), Anthony Mitrofaniuk 177th, Nick Bennett 181st, John Treadwell 186th, Joe Charlmers 187th, Jose Ortiz Gonzalez 194th and Gary Flude 214th.

A special mention goes to Dale Ball who was unable to finish having recently struggled with Covid and found out the hard way that he had not fully recovered from the virus.

And Battley was the highest placed Godiva in the league’s best of three individual standings, finishing 31st overall.

Full results can be found on the Birmingham League XC website.

Up next for Godiva’s runners are the English National Cross Country Championships which take place this weekend at Parliament Hill in London with over 20 men and 10 women from the club set to race.

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