In action for the U23 women was current student Alex Millard (coach: Bill Foster) and alumna Grace Carson (Foster), with Carson being the first Northern Irish athlete to be selected to represent GB & NI at the European Cross Country in 25 years. Both athletes had excellent runs, with Millard displaying her fantastic form to take an individual bronze medal, and Carson finishing in fifth, meaning that the U23 women took team gold on the day.
They were matched by their male counterparts as the U23 men also took team gold, aided by current scholar and Commonwealth finalist Matt Stonier (Chris & Sonia McGeorge) who finished in 8th place and former Loughborough student Rory Leonard who finished in 11th.
GB & NI’s silver-winning senior women team had a distinctively Loughborough feel, with three of the six team members having studied at Loughborough, and a fourth whose current training base is Loughborough.
Current PhD candidate Jessica Warner-Judd (Mick Judd) captained the senior team and finished in an excellent 8th position, closely followed by team mate and current student Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis & Bill Foster) who finished in 9th. They were joined on the team podium by alumna Cari Hughes and England Athletics Loughborough hub athlete Amy-Eloise Markovc (Rob Denmark) who finished 22nd and 28th respectively.
Finally, Loughborough first-year Megan Harris (Hayley Hemmings), competing in her GB & NI debut, finished in 23rd place and was the 3rd placed British woman, with the U20 women’s team just missing out on a team medal in fourth.
Loughborough’s Head of Endurance, Kyle Bennett, commented: “We are always proud of the contribution that Loughborough makes on an International stage, and it is great to see Loughborough students do so well at a European level.
“These performances are an indicator of the excellent form the athletes are in before we move into the new year and selection for the World Cross Country Championships, as well as the BUCS Cross Country Championships in February. It has set us up brilliantly for 2023.”
A full write-up and results can be found on the British Athletics website: GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TOP MEDAL TABLE AT 2022 EUROPEAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS | British Athletics