Newport Harriers Gwent League
| The Gwent League |
Newport Harriers Gwent League |
The final round of this season's Gwent league was run at Carmarthen on March
16th. Nick Johnson won the under 11 section of the Gwent League by the narrowest of margins. Just one point separated Nick from his nearest rival R. Williams of North Devon AC with J. Dalgleish of Westbury Harriers a mere 2 points further adrift. Despite its name the Gwent League encompasses the very best of Wales and the West Country's Cross Country Runners. It is one of the most competitive events in the UK. With just five races per season and literally hundreds of competitors very few athletes manage to win even one race and fewer still win overall titles. Newport has only had two male Gwent League Champions in the past 15 years, James Nasrat in the under 17 men age group last year and Mark Goodger who won the same age group category as Nick way back in 1988.
At the start of the final race of the series in Carmarthen the three leading contenders were level on points and some 15 points clear of the next challenger. Whoever came home in front out of Johnson, Williams and Dalgeish would be the champion. The scene was set for a fantastic race. Johnson and Dalgeish had won 2 races each and the three boys had finished in the first 4 in all the previous rounds of the competition. Dalgeish with 2 wins under his belt was probably the pre-race favourite. Johnson however was determined and from the start of the race he stormed into the lead. His determination gave him a 30 metre lead by half way and in the boggy conditions. Although he tired there was never any prospect of the others catching him. Williams chased hard and pulled clear of the chasing pack, but made little headway into Johnson's lead until the closing stages when the lack of a race marshal almost robbed Johnson of victory. In the confusion over the route Johnson had to take he saw his lead whittled down to less than 10 metres. Determined not to lose at this stage Nick fought back and again pulled away from the field. He crossed the line a comfortable and deserving victor in a thrilling climax to his first full winter of cross country racing. Nick adds the title of Gwent League Champion 2001-2002 to his series win in the Newport Transporter Series last summer and a number of promising 800metre and 1500metre races during the summer including his victory in the Welsh Boys and Girls Clubs Championships at 800metres. He is obviously a talented athlete with a bright future in the sport.
Nick was Newport's only Gwent League Champion his season. There were hopes that Anne Saxena would successfully defend her women veteran 40 titles, but it was not to be. Saxena was in a similar position to Johnson, level on points with
1. N. Johnson Newport Harriers Athletic Club 183 2. R. Williams North Devon Athletic Club 182 3. J. Dalgleish Westbury Harriers 180
14. K. Cardwell Newport Harriers Athletic Club 89
5. Z. Llewellyn Newport Harriers Athletic Club 145
3. G. Day Newport Harriers Athletic Club 116
5. J. Nasrat Newport Harriers Athletic Club 87 7. S. Davies Newport Harriers Athletic Club 72 20. G. Fereday Newport Harriers Athletic Club 45
7. A. Saxena (45) Newport Harriers Athletic Club 562 28. C. Fereday (50) Newport Harriers Athletic Club 376
3. A. Saxena (45) Newport Harriers Athletic Club 403 19. C. Fereday (50) Newport Harriers Athletic Club 283
2. A. Saxena Newport Harriers Athletic Club 204 8. C. Fereday (50) Newport Harriers Athletic Club 149
4. C. Fereday Newport Harriers Athletic Club 98 Veteran (50 and over) men 15. P. Day Newport Harriers Athletic Club 223