The team was confident. Training had gone well in the build up, but this was the big one! Final trials had led to the selection of a strong team for this year's Cannock and Rugeley Cross Country Tournament.

Excitement had grown during the day prior to leaving school at 3.30pm for the meet at Cannock Stadium. The car park was filling up as we arrived. Fourteen schools from all over Cannock and Rugeley were attending this year. The usual practice of walking the course followed regsitration. Some  of the children had participated last year, but there were still nerves and some declared butterflies. The course is long. Starting off on the running track, running around the perimeter of the stadium and then finishing off with a lap of the running track proper. The format is a continuous relay of five boys and five girls in a pre determined order, so it demands a real team effort from all involved.

Nerves were jingling as Callum Connolly set off for the first leg. A good start and by the end we were in third place.
Chloe Hodgson set off at a pace and we were second. Mel Crossley maintained a good even run to keep us in with a shout at third place. Josh Yates tremendous leg found us in first place with a margin of several meters.Tommy Tiernan took up the race and extended the lead, as did Emma Cooper, Samuel Lovell and Lucy Beck. All keeping a fantastic pace and finishing well in the home straight. After the 6th leg we were comfortably out in front, but past experience led us to keep our excitement  in check. A slip or fall on the damp grass banks could put pay to a leading place. Fortunately, it was not to be! Bradley Hodgson and Sammie Mitchell completed the event in style, finishing over half a lap of the stadium ahead of second place. The children were ecstatic! Victory was theirs and well deserved too. They had run as a team, and won as a team. Each individual run had been superb. A proud moment for the school and all the parents who gave up their time to come along and support the runners.

Of the one hundred and forty children who took part in the whole event, it was the  ten of Churchfield who came out .....

The Champions.