[Not a valid template]The Northern Ireland Cross Country season opened with the Comber Cup and the Billy Neill Soccer Centre was used as a venue for the first time. Veterans’ events took centre stage as trials took place for the British and Irish International at Croydon on 20th November. Club runners in contention for places are George Bell and John Quiery, 5th M50 and M45; David Seaton and Norman Lellyett, 3rd and 4th M55; John Monaghan, 4th M60 and Ken Hawtin, 2nd M65. Jessica Craig, Lauren Scott and the Nichola and Thomas Simpson ran well in the U18/U16 races. In the Comber Cup itself, North Down were 3rd behind Willowfield and North Belfast with Jamie Stewart 1st U20.
Any thoughts that it was going to be a gentle course were soon dispelled when a tough one mile lap was revealed complete with hilly bits, muddy bits. muddy hilly bits and good galloping terrain. The weather was good and it was a fine day of Cross Country.
Jessica Craig led the 3K U18 girls for the first lap but was all in near the end and had to settle for 2nd in 13.59. Lauren Scott was 5th in 14.42 and Nichola Simpson 8th in 15.32. Her brother Thomas was 3rd in the U16 boys race in 13.24.
North Down results in the 10K 40- 64 veteran mens’ race were George Bell 20th in 38.04, John Quiery 23rd in 38.45, Tony Wall 26th in 39.15, David Seaton 30th in 40.14, Marcus McAuley 32nd in 40.52, Norman Lellyett 34th in 41.02, Pat McMullan 48th in 43.49, John Monaghan 56th in 49.23, Richard Belshaw 59th in 58.34. In the separate 65 plus race over 5K, Ken Hawtin was 2nd in 22.27 to Jimmy Reid.
In the 7K Comber Cup for Open Men, it was the James Boys. James Budde was 7th in 22.59, Jamie Stewart 12th in 23.41 and first U20, James Agar 20th in 26.13 and Norman Wilson 24th in 27.44. Willowfield won the Comber Cup with 47 points from North Belfast with 51 and North Down with 63.