Havering Athletics Club teams carried on their cross country season with five team wins and two second places as the second round of the Essex Cross Country League was held at Writtle University College on Saturday.

The race was serving as the selection trial for the Essex team at next month’s Southern Inter Counties.

Havering’s senior men made it two wins in two on the way to defending their title as another great turnout saw 21 runners toe the line.

Ben Davis’ superb third place led the team home, with Rob Warner next in a very good seventh, James Stewart not far behind in eighth, closely followed by Kieran O'Hara in 12th and Sam Atkins 15th who all ran well.

The winning scoring six was completed by a good run by Jason Lendon in 27th. Alex Ford was just outside the scorers in 30th, Rob Trevor 49th, Steve Rand 56th and newcomer Richard Morris 59th who all made the top sixty.

Jason Crispin in 67th, Louis Berrett 73rd, Martin Chester 81st, Matt Bland 86th, Gary Atkins 87th, Ian Anthony 89th and Graham Hogan 99th all finished in the top 100 in a very competitive field.

John Barker in 101st, Steve Walker 107th and Roy James 128th completed the club’s 20 finishers. The veteran men also top the table after a second win as Rob Warner, Jason Lendon, Rob Trevor and Steve Rand were the four to count.

The senior women went one better than their runners up spot last time with a convincing win to top the early league table.

Ginte Bailey repeated her third place from round one and Morgan Campbell went one better in sixth, and Robyn Matson’s 10th place and Clare Davies in 29th ensured a comfortable cushion on the opposition.

Emily James in 65th and Tracy O’Neill in 89th completed the course.

The under 17 and under 20 Women also added another victory to their first-round win to lead in the league stakes.

Natalie Sewell and Maddie Barker were third and fourth to win Essex selection for the Essex under 17 team while Molly Sweetman’s fifth place and Sydney Foley’s 10th earned them both U20 Essex selection, and saw the team record an easy win.

Chloe Rand (16th), and Hannah Yexley (18th) and league debutant Kizzie Leadbitter 24th completed the line-up.

Freddie Rowe made it two wins in two for under 13 boys and Findlay McLaren was a fine second, both earning Essex selection, as Shea Sweeney in 12th and Liam Battrum in 14th completed the scoring quartet whose victory gave them an early lead in the league.

Kieran Catherall (24th), Aidan Doherty and Ethan Carroll in 26th and 27th and Jude Hearn (31st) and Stanley Churchill (37th) also saw action.

The under 15 girls lacked a scoring four in round one, but made no mistake this time. Charlotte Evans made the Essex team in seventh place with Rosie Warner ninth, and Hannah Evans (14th) and Abigail Swan (23rd) ensured second place for the team.

The under 15 boys were missing a few key athletes and had to settle for third, after a narrow victory last time out.

Jack West’s seventh place brought him an Essex call up, with 15th placed Oliver Taylor-Bush, Sean Langan in 17th and Alfie Geeves in 23rd the other scorers.

Toby Johnson and Oscar Shearing were 25th and 26th, with Michael Tesi in 29th and Joseph Gray 38th.

The under 17 men packed well for another second-place finish. Charlie Howell was first home in 13th, Max Robbins and Sam Mahoney were 17th and 18th, and Charlie Burgess completed the scoring four in 24th.

The under 13 girls were able to muster a full four this time and placed fifth thanks to Ruby Price (28th), Isabella Taylor-Bush (33rd), Scarlett Woods and Emily Quinlan in 36th and 37th.

Club life member Verona Elder MBE received the honour of being inducted to the England Athletics Hall of Fame.

When Verona joined Havering AC in 1980, after moving to the local area, she was already an established international athlete, while a member of her original club Wolverhampton & Bilston, having three times won 400m gold at the 1973, 1975 and 1979 European Indoor Championships and relay golds and 400m silvers 1974 & 1978 Commonwealth Games.

Verona became a valuable member of the Havering club during the 1980 and 1981 seasons, at one point holding the 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m club records - and her 300m and 400m records still stand 40 years later.