Invicta Athletics Club News

World Schools XC Czech Republic

SUPER BETH GETS HER THIRD ENGLAND VEST AT WORLD SCHOOLS XC

Beth Carter competed in her 3rd England vest of the season..... 1) International match in Spain in January, and 2) Home International Schools in Scotland in March. Here the race was on very European short, fast, dry, flat terrain, on a course of 3 x 1km laps. Beth prefers hilly, muddy courses like Parliament Hill where, when winning the Southren Region Championship in January she beat the No 1 in this team, Louise Small, for the only time this season.

Louise Small was 9th in this world event, only 7 secs in front of Beth who was 13th, just behind the 4th scorer from New Zealand, the winning team. Two England girls were just behind Beth to complete the England score and this tight English packing ensured team bronze, ahead of strong teams from Australia, Belgium and Spain. Beth was particularly pleased to have bettered team-mates Annika Jarman and Rebecca Craigie who had beaten her last month in English Schools Championship on the fast flat course in Liverpool's Sefton Park.

This prestigious event eluded Invicta international, Charlotte Dale, who was eventual European u-20 champion in Croatia in 2001, and the only other Invicta member to have been selected was Henny Freeman who 10 years ago, as England's 5th finisher, came 66th in Latvia and then, one year later, took the English national title in Stowe, Bucks.