Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's senior women's team followed up their silver medal winning effort in the Surrey cross country championships with another strong team display in the third of this season's Max Sports Surrey Ladies League meetings in crisp conditions at Farthing Downs, Coulsdon, on Saturday.
With one match remaining the squad looks set to finish in the top three for the first time in the club's history.
Marathon running mum Claire Grima, who led the team to the Surrey silver medals was again the top Hercules Wimbledon finisher in 15th place covering the testing five miles course in 36 minutes 13 seconds. Amy Aronson, who also featured in the medal-winning effort the previous weekend, posted another fine performance to take 22nd place out of almost 200 runners in 37:01 with Hannah Fernando 36th in 38:30, Jordan Folk 47th in 39:03 and Alison Purnell 71st in 40:38.
Despite missing Zoe Pike and Jennifer Fernando, the two other members of the silver medal-winning team in the Surrey championships, the weakened Hercules Wimbledon squad still managed to finish fifth on the day to hang onto third spot overall.
Teenager Imogen Willis was the top Hercules Wimbledon performer in the young athletes races finishing 20th in the under 15 girls race in 22:05.
Hercules Wimbledon's senior men were also in action at Coulsdon and consolidated their position in the top division of the 2XU Surrey Men's cross country league despite missing three of the club's Surrey bronze medal-winning team Fred Slemeck and Andrew Penney who have returned to university and Matt Sharp, who was unavailable. Once again, Alex Robinson, who led the club to the Surrey bronze team medals at Dorking the previous weekend, was the top finisher. He failed by just five seconds to take the individual hours as he raced home in runners-up spot in 28:52.
Kieran White was 10th of the 172 finishers in 29:50 with teenager Liam White, showing his best form since returning from a calf muscle injury, finishing 13th in 30:04. Liam, who took the individual bronze medal in the Surrey under 20 championships, was also the top under 20 finisher. Dominic Kirayfi was 52nd in 32:04 with Alexie Calvert-Ansdari 58th in 32:17 and Joe Toomey, along with Liam White a member of the Surrey junior men's silver medal winning team, 65th and second under 20 finisher in 32:39.
Veteran Peter Lee (70th in 32:53), Phil Glynn (72nd in 32:56), Sean Crummy (76th in 33:11) and Alex Urban (82nd in 33:40) completed the scoring team.
Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters dominated their event filling five of the top six places in the under 15 and under 17 2.5 miles race. Tim Livingstone battled to victory in a tight finish in which he sneaked home just two seconds clear in 15:42 to lead the team to victory. Ben Palmer was third in 15:47 with Cassian Hyde fourth and second under 15 finisher in 15:59. Ross Vance was sixth in 16:31 and Augustin Mallon 13th in 17:19. Alex Bond and Matt Gibbons were 11th and 12th in the boys under 13 race in 20:09 and 20:43, respectively.
Sprinters Dwayne Dowding, Richard Agyapong, Hamed Agboke and Kyran Mitchell-Nanton flexed their muscles for the winter indoor campaign with victories in the South London Athletics Network open indoor meeting at Sutton Arena. Dowding won his 60m race in 7.04, Agyapong clocked 7.22, Mitchell-Nanton 7.25 and Agboke 7.37. Veteran David Harris won his pole vault competition with 2.60m while Emily Martin was third in her 60m race in 7.87.
This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon are competing in an inter-club cross country match in Richmond Park on Saturday. The race, over 4.9 miles, starts near to Roehampton Gate at 2.30pm. Some of the club's youngsters will also be in action in the Surrey schools cross country championships at Reigate on Saturday morning while Sunday sees Hercules Wimbledon athletes in action in the final Surrey Sportshall meeting of the winter at Guildford's Spectrum Leisure Centre. The meeting starts at 1pm. Also over the weekend, some of the club's seniors will be in action in the South of England indoor championships at Lee Valley Leisure Centre, North London. Action takes place on both Saturday and Sunday
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