PB Racing Squad produce slew of regional and national cross country champions

Eva Bartlett (centre; 1st in All Ireland under 18 European trial)

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A Maidenhead and district-based running team have had their most successful winter season yet producing a slew of regional and national champions at cross country.

Members of the PB Racing Squad include middle distance athletes from many local clubs including Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC, Maidenhead AC, Newbury AC and Reading AC all of whom are coached by former internationals-turned-coaches Paddy McGrath and Peta Bee.

Among the outstanding performances recently was a superb win by Frank McGrath, 19, to take the South of England Under 20 Men’s title at Beckenham in January. In December, McGrath represented Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships in Turkey having qualified by placing second in the All Ireland Under 20 trial.

Eva Bartlett, 17, also competed in the European Cross Country and was selected following her national championships win in the All Ireland Under 18 cross country. Meanwhile Jemima Ridley, 19, placed 5th in the South of England Women’s Under 20 championships and recorded one of the fastest times in the National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield.

At the Welsh championships in Carmarthenshire on January 25, Chloe Bullock finished 7th and Quinn Bookless 8th in the Under 15 Girls championships with Chloe, 14, shortlisted for under 17 international selection. Megan Bond, 13, was seventh in the under 13 Welsh championships.

No fewer than 16 of the squad were selected to represent Berkshire County Schools team following superb performances in then trial races at Newbury in January. Simone Plewman, 12, was a runaway of the girls year 7 race at that meeting while Ben Welch, also 12, paced 3rd in the boys’ equivalent.

Kaiya McCrabbe (junior girls), Chloe Bullock (intermediate girls) and Dylan Bavazzano (senior boys) all secured automatic selection for the prestigious English Schools Cross Country Champs in March with Archie Charles (junior boys) and Fabien Mormech (inter boys) also on the team. Jemima Watson also won the Oxfordshire County Under 11 age group championships with Eloise Wouters in third and Teddy Molnar fifth. Fifteen of the squad qualified to represent their county at the UK Inter County championships in March.

Anyone interested in joining the squad should email Peta on: pbracingsquad@gmail.com