Women’s winner Sarah Mercier

MAINTAINING focus was the biggest obstacle to Matt Loveridge clinching his first GIAAC senior cross-country title.

With a number of the island’s big guns missing as they either prepared for bigger challenges ahead or, in the odd case, nursed injuries, Loveridge finished a clear and comfortable winner over six miles of undulating course on the north end of an exposed L’Ancresse.

Loveridge is working hard for the forthcoming track season in which he targets the 800 and 1,500m and his strength over the country was there for all to see as he led from a mile or so into the race until the end, coping with the strong winds better than anyone.

Bodkin had initially led the small field out and, for a short period, Luke Bisson, an improving under-15, took up the lead in the knowledge he had only two two-mile circuits to complete and not the three for seniors.

By the end of two laps, Loveridge was 150m up on Bodkin, who in turn led the improving James de Garis by a 100m or so. And that is the order they finished in.

The women’s race over four miles of the same circuit saw Sarah Mercier, 19, lead all the way, but by the finish Alderney’s Nikki Neal had closed to within 10sec.

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