THERE were superb individual and team successes for Reading Athletic Club’s Under 17 women on Saturday in the Hampshire Cross Country League at Popham, as Hermione Walker convincingly won the race while leading her team to victory.

In damp conditions in the fields by Popham Airfield, Walker was soon among the leaders in the 5km race, and as three athletes broke away, she waited until the top of the final climb before unleashing a finishing burst over the final 300m to win by seven seconds in a time of 20m 57secs.

Next to finish for Reading was Abi Hancock in a fine seventh place in 22.10, and Alannah Chadwick completed the scoring team in 11th place with 22.40 to give the club a clear victory over Aldershot and Portsmouth.

Sisters Renee and Georgia Whalley finished 14th and 15th, recording 23.10 and 23.26, to emphasise the strength of this Reading squad.

Reading U13 girls also ran extremely well in their 3km race, led home by Holly Haldane in sixth place in a time of 12.15, closely followed by Evie Elson and Ella Newman in eighth and ninth, with times of 12.21 and 12.28, to give their team second place behind Southampton.

Lydia Godfrey (31st with 13.18), Emma Yeadon (42nd in 13.57), Zoe Rennie (52nd in 14.34) and Molly Barnes (55th in 14.46) also had fine runs.

For Reading’s U15 girls in their 4km race, Talia Painting was first home with a strong performance for 22nd position in 16.25, and she was folowed by Jemima Crocker in 32nd with 17.25, and Katie Barnes in 37th with 17.36 to give the team sixth place.

Evie Warren (47th in 18.29) and Amy Ricketts (51st, 18.50) also took part.

The best result from Reading’s boys was by the U15s.

They were led home in their 4km race by Ollie Craggs, who despite running with a cold kept going well for 26th place in a time of 14.31.

Not far behind came the ever-reliable Laurie Baker in 27th with 14.38, and the scoring team was completed by the fast-finishing Aryan Gupta in 29th in 14.46.

However, it was the non-scoring Ben McCabe, with his sustained effort for 37th place in 15.05, just ahead of Poole’s final scorer, who ensured Reading finished fourth rather than fifth in the team competition.

With all Reading’s current top U13 boys missing, the team’s first runner home in their 3km race was the noticeably improving Nick Haldane in 44th place, in a time of 12.36.

Elliott McCarthy ran well to finish 67th in 13.55, and with Rio Scott-Smith persevering for 80th in 15.44, Reading finished as ninth team.

There was an excellent run from Ben Rollings in the U17 men’s 5km race, as he moved through to eighth place, recording 19.05, while Joseph Mott did well to hold on to 15th in 19.57.

However, without a third runner Reading were out of contention in the team contest.

Next comes the challenge of the Berkshire Championships on December 16, where Reading will need a good turnout in all the age-groups if they are to compete with Bracknell and Windsor.