MAX Nicolle and Ben West score brilliant victories for Bicester AC in the penultimate round of the Oxford Mail Cross Country League at Cirencester.
Nicolle, who has had a super season, recorded his maiden victory in the under 13 boys race contested over a 2,000 metre course.
He stopped the clock at 8mins 42secs, which gave him a winning margin of eight seconds.
Nicolle’s heroics spurred his teammates to a fantastic first place in the team race.
One of Bicester’s most improved runners, Samuel Worfolk, came eighth, and Freddie Taylor made it a clean sweep of top-ten finishes in this age group (in tenth), while James Rendell finished 19th.
Bicester’s other winner was West, who has been burning up the fields of Oxfordshire this winter.
West’s age category (under 15) is always combined with the under 17s.
In the race itself, West came second, 14 seconds behind the winner. However, he was the leading under 15 finisher, some 41 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
This enabled him to retain his strong overall lead with one event to go.
Millie Couzens nearly made it a hat-trick of Bicester wins as she finished second in the under 13 girls race.
Her time of 9mins 6secs for the 2,000 metre circuit was nine seconds behind the winner.
Bicester’s Georgia Usher came fourth in the under 11 girls race contested over a 2,000 metre circuit, and leaves her fourth in the overall standings.
Amy Gould was ninth in the under 15/17 race and is fourth in the under 15 standings.
OXFORD MAIL CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
MEN
Senior: 21 R Gould (Alc, V40), 41 J Bagnall (Alc).
Under 15/17: 2 B West (Bic, U15) 20mins 12secs, 22 T Cozens (Bic), 23 T Gould (Bic) Under 13: 1 M Nicolle (Bic) 8.42, 8 S Worfolk (Bic), 10 F Taylor (Bic), 19 J Rendell (Bic).
Under 11: 11 M Cadle (Bic), 24 T Jones (Bic), 25 H Rendell (Bic), 27 B Groves (Bic).
WOMEN
Senior: 7 S Rendell (Alc, LV35) 27.16, 23 S Usher (Alc, LV35), 35 L Somogyi (Alc), 48 O Underhill (Alc), 50 B Fennell (Alc).
Under 15/17: 9 A Gould (Bic, U15) 14.21, 32 M Acton (Bic), 34 L Nicklin (Bic), 38 H Hunter (Bic), 41 B Liversidge (Bic) Under 13: 2 M Couzens (Bic) 9.06, 19 A Cox (Bic), 27 F Smith (Bic) Under 11: 4 G Usher (Bic), 13 I Cox (Bic), 16 B Couzens (Bic), 22 A Couzens (Bic), 38 A Neptune (Bic), 40 I Groves (Bic).
COMBINED
Under 9: 9 H Keeble (Bic), 22 O Frogley (Bic).
TEAM RESULTS
MEN
Senior – Div 2: 2 Alchester A 413. Div 3: 4 Alchester B 873. Under 15/17: 5 Bicester A 47. Under 13: 1 Bicester A 19.
WOMEN
Senior – Div 1: 3 Alchester A 65. Div 3: 5 Alchester B 154, 11 Alchester C 205, 25 Alchester D 380. Under 15/17: 9 Bicester A 75, 15 Bicester B 121. Under 13: 5 Bicester A 48.
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
MEN
Vet 40: 6 R Gould (Alc) 75. Vet 50: 3 J Nelson (Alc) 210, 16 A Simpson (Alc) 527, 17 R Kerr (Alc) 528. Under 17: 7 T Gould (Bic) 50. Under 15: 1 B West (Bic) 6. Under 13: 3 M Nicolle (Bic) 7, 10 S Worfolk (Bic) 32.
WOMEN
Senior: 11 B Fennell (Alc) 127, 16 L Somogyi (Alc) 150, 18 O Underhill (Alc) 168. Vet 35: 3 S Rendell (Alc) 17, 10 S Usher (Alc) 64. Under 15: 4 A Gould (Bic) 25. Under 13: 9 L Watts (Bic) 34. Under 11: 5 G Usher (Bic) 14.
TEAM STANDINGS
MEN
Senior – Div 2: 2 Alchester A 1935. Div 3: 4 Alchester B 4062. Under 15/17: 6 Bicester A 217. Under 13: 2 Bicester A 112.
WOMEN
Senior – Div 1: 5 Alchester A 305. Div 3: 5 Alchester B 721, 10 Alchester C 958, 18 Alchester D 1370. Under 15/17: 9 Bicester A 314, 15 Bicester B 547. Under 13: 5 Bicester A 200.
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