Page 8 - BBHAC Winter 2017-18 Gazette

8

Senior Men’s…

Winter Season Report 2017/18p /

Many performances character-
ised the entire season as teams
were made available at almost
everything entered, the seniors
competed with bloody minded
determination and a willingness
to get stuck in regardless of the
weather, opposition or logistical
problems. The senior men keep
on running.

The Winter Season was kicked
off with the traditional curtain The lead group setting off with the hope of victory in the Ranelagh Mob Match.
raiser the Will Bolton Memorial
Relays, featuring some unusually This did not emerge imme- Tonbridge. 16 club men fought
cold and wet weather to set the diately, however, as a select rolling hills in high tempera-
tone for the rest of the season. group of athletes towed the line tures to deliver two more fourth
The senior men produced for the National 6 Stage Road place finishes in the different
four complete teams and one Relays at its spiritual home of scoring categories.
incomplete one that busted a bit Sutton Park in the first test of
of rust after the summer and set the season against the country’s The following weekend the
matters up nicely for the longer best teams. Sesemann improved focus changed to the final na-
contests ahead.
from Crystal Palace to win the tional competition of the year in
The first big challenge emerged opening leg in the second fastest the shape of the National Cross
a mere week later in the shape of time of the day, but it was not Country Relays in Mansfield.
the Southern 6 Stage Relays in possible to maintain this and the Will Fuller got the team off to
the conveniently local location team wound up 38th out of 82 a strong start in 15th followed
of Crystal Palace Park. After complete teams. by each of the team managers
trips to more distant locations to produce another finish in the
in previous years, the team The pace of the season really 30s, 33rd out of a mammoth
managers were hopeful of a big picked up after this with the 179 complete teams, as two
turnout and they were not disap- first Kent League the following other club members stewarding
pointed as an impressive 24 men weekend at Stanhill Farm. 15 youngsters ran as an incom-
answered the call, giving Black- Heathens ran, and, in a trend plete team.
heath its best representation in that was to continue throughout
years through three complete the season, the 4 to score and Focus returned to domestic
teams, one vets team and one in- 12 to score teams were both matters the following weekend
complete team. The A team, led fourth in the team standings. A on the third leg of the Kent
by the third fastest leg of the day crack team of four then took on League at Footscray Meadows
from Phil Sesemann, ran strong-
ly throughout and managed 15th gale force winds in the shadow with an ultra-consistent fourth
to comfortably qualify for the of HMP Wormwood Scrubs at in both the four and 12 to score
National 6 Stage Relays. They the Southern XC Relays to place categories once again, backed
were backed up by the B team 21st out of 44 complete teams up by another high turnout of
in 49th and the C team in 69th in this fledgling event. Focus 14. The team was divided by a
out of the 88 complete teams, returned to the Kent League fixture clash the following week,
blooding everyone nicely for the the following week at the always however, as some took on the
cross country season. gruelling Somerhill School in first mob match against Orion