The Carnegie Track has proved to be a happy hunting ground for the cross country club over the past few years (few present will ever forget Elliott Jackson’s 1500m win here in 2010), and whilst the athletics club ultimately lost the event, cross country can walk away with their heads held high.

In the women’s events Lucy Crookes complete an unprecedented double by pulverising the field in both the 3000m and 1500m, it must also be noted that Crookes first lap in the 3000m was clock at just over 75 seconds, a second quicker than the men’s opening lap. The rest of the medal positions were also taken by Leeds Uni athletes with Jocelyn Payne taking silver and Rebecca Middleton taking bronze. If the girls can carry these performances on into the forthcoming season then it would appear that the women’s distance running at Leeds University is in extremely rude health.

The men’s race was again dominated by Leeds University with Elliott Jackson and club captain, Freddie Slemeck, providing a master-class in distance running that was taken straight from the top draw. Working as a team for much of the race, the pair could be seen to be talking tactics throughout the race, this was perhaps best exemplified when Jackson, sensing Met were struggling as they hit the wind around the top bend each time, relayed the message to Slemeck, leading to a series of efforts into the wind that caused the field to be blow apart. One commentator later observed that if any young athlete, such as the likes of Luke Buswell, wanted to know how to race then all they needed to do was watch a video of this.

As the race came to the business end of proceedings Slemeck began to slowly turn the screw on Jackson with 1000m to go, and whilst to the untrained eye Jackson may have looked to be favorite when still in contact with 200m to go, the kick had been run out of him, leading  Slemeck to power home in a time of 9.20, a run perhaps more akin to an 8.50 in calmer conditions.

It seemed that this would be the end to the club’s contribution to the day, however when Met looked to be given a walk over in the women’s mile walk former Welsh international race walker Bethan Davies, down at the track as a spectator only, stepped up to the mark with less than 5 minutes notice to produce a scintillating walk to take fourth place.