Hunts AC kept their hopes of a double Frostbite Friendly League double alive – thanks to a super showing in the penultimate round of the series.
The local club captured junior and senior honours last season and could repeat the feat after triumphing in both sections on home turf at Hinchingbrooke Country Park last Sunday.
Hunts AC boast a 100 per-cent record at junior level after reeling off a fifth successive victory. It featured individual glory for Casper Hiscock, who completed the one-and-a-half mile contest in 9.03.
Clubmates Seb Darnell (eighth in 9.46) and Markus Downhill (14th in 9.58) also broke the 10-minute barrier while Issy Wilkins was the first female finisher with a 10.03 effort for 15th place overall. Spencer Taylor completed the scoring effort – three places and five seconds further back.
Fellow local clubs excelled with Riverside Runners taking second spot on the day and Huntingdon BRJ Run & Tri claiming third. They also fill the same berths in the overall standings.
Keenan Hoskins (fourth, 9.32), Callum Nicholson (seventh, 9.38) and Joe Wilson (ninth, 9.48) finished in the top 10 for Riverside. Ben Joyce (16th, 10.07) and Scarlet Dalrymple (22nd, 10.17) completed their scoring effort.
James Orrell led home BRJ in sixth place (9.37). Liam Conway (11th, 9.51), Keelan Duffy (13th, 9.57), Cameron Smith (17th, 10.08) and Lauren Elliott (30th, 10.51) were their other scoring runners.
St Neots outfit Riverside lead the way at senior level. They boast a six-point cushion over Hunts AC heading into the final round, which is staged by BRJ at Jubilee Park on March 11.
Hunts AC collected their first team victory of the campaign last Sunday Park when sixth-placed Joey Croft was their star performer. He completed the five-mile test in 29.40 with captain Ty Farrer (eighth in 29.58) and Darren Matthews (ninth, 30.10) not far behind.
Steve Church (24th, 31.40), Simon Margot (26th, 31.47), Rod McKee (28th, 31.49), Andy Stowe (30th, 31.57), Ieva Klavina (124th, 37.25), Caroline King (136th, 38.11) and Caroline Archer (142nd, 38.28) closed out the scoring team.
Michael Taylor shrugged off illness to be the pick of the runners for series leaders Riverside as they finished second in the team standings on the day. He took third place in 28.54.
Rodrigo Santos (10th, 30.16), Gary Evans (11th, 30.29), James Shiner (13th, 30.52), Alan Turnbull (14th, 30.55), Joss Williams (16th, 31.04) and Neil Shorten (23rd, 31.38) were their other scoring males.
Suzi Boast (90th, 35.31), Emma Evans (181st, 40.17) and Sam Windebank (193rd, 40.56) were the three required female contributors to the team tally.
Riverside were without their leading lady in all previous rounds - Jess Williams - due to a clash with a triathlon event.
Individual success went to BRJ star David Hudson, who breezed through the muddy conditions in 27.39 to triumph by a minute.
The club’s other scoring runners were Andy Phillips (33rd, 32.03), Cy Gearing (41st, 33.10), Daniel Mitton (54th, 33.57), William Dales (55th, 34.01), Liam Tharme (61st, 34.10), Neil Jarvis (72nd, 34.45), Shelley Duffy (145th, 38.37), Ruth Foster (221st, 42.12) and Alison Orrell (223rd, 42.26) as they finished sixth.
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