Mrs Howlett (Deputy Head of Sport)

The Cross Country season got off to a ‘flying start’ on Tuesday with the opening round of the English Schools’ Cup Competition. 120 girls from schools across the region were racing in the Junior (Years 7 and 8) and Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) age groups. The field is always very strong, as entries tend to be schools who have a strong history in Cross Country, all with the aim of qualifying for the National Finals later in the year. The weather was far from typical for Cross Country, the girls had to contend with rather mild conditions for what should have been an Autumnal day. 

Both of our age groups had a mix of Cross Country newcomers ranging from experienced club runners to the very much-valued determined runners. It is this combination that sets us apart from other schools. The girls work so hard for each other, in what must be one of the physically toughest sports BGS competes in. Our girls showed a genuine camaraderie and desire to work for each other.

A particular mention goes to two of our newcomers, Natalie Simmons (Year 9) and Rosie Foster (Year 7), who both won their respective age group race. This is a super achievement when you look at the quality of the field.  This said, we should not take anything away from the other ten BGS girls taking part who gave equal effort on the day. Both teams finished fifth overall.

Teams:

Intermediate: Evie Bradwell, Jasmine Brakenbury, Sophie Forbes-Laird (Captain), Amy Hall, Etienne Maughan, Natalie Simmons.

Junior: Charlotte Coton, Rosie Foster, Megan Howlett, Izzy Jackson, Emily Pinkney, Gabi Woodroffe-Gomez (Captain).