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Team GBR Announced for Cross Country Championships

Students from St Mary's University College, Twickenham have been included in a team of nine talented student athletes who will be travelling to Ontario, Canada this week to take part in the 17th World University Cross Country Championships.

The GBR cross country team will be competing against athletes from 24 other countries in their first World University event on Sunday 11 April.

Great Britain’s athletes have a long history of success at the Cross Country Championships. The women’s team will be racing to retain the Team Championship title held since 2004 and the men’s will be hoping to go one better than the silver they won in 2008.

Faye Fullerton, formerly of St Mary’s, won the women’s race in 2008 and the GBR team will have high hopes to bring back an array of medals in both events. 

Despite it being their first experience of a World University Championship, many of the team are already familiar with international environment, having competed at a number of European and World Junior Cross Country events.

Both Jess Sparke and Natalie Gray were part of the GB winning team at the Under 23 European Cross Country Championships in Dublin late last year.

Women’s Team – 5k event

• Joanne Harvey, St Mary’s University College
• Jess Sparke, St Mary’s University College
• Natalie Gray, Loughborough University
• Kirsty Milner, Loughborough University

Men’s Team – 10k event

• Mitchell Goose, St Mary’s University College
• Ben Lindsay, St Mary’s University College
• Derek Hawkins, University of Glasgow
• Jon Pepper, University of Birmingham
• Jonathan Thewlis, University of Nottingham

Jo Kirk, Head of International Programmes at British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) said: “The cross country event in Canada is the first of many international competitions taking place this year for our aspiring student athletes.

"We wish Team GBR the best of luck this week as they take on their international counterparts in what is expected to be a gruelling race.”