Steve Smythe continues our end-of-season merit rankings by taking a look at the under-20 performances

This was not easy to rank as last year’s No.1 Matthew Willis did not contest the National or Inter-Counties but won at Liverpool and Cardiff, was ninth in the Europeans and finished as the leading junior in the BUCS.

Zak Mahamed won the National and trailed Willis in Lisbon and Liverpool while Matthew Stonier won the Inter-Counties and English Schools but trailed the top two in the aforementioned races.

US-based Charlie Hicks was the first Briton in the Europeans but his only other run was at Liverpool, which costs him ranking positions.

National runner-up and Midlands champion Lay follows, one place up on fellow Joshua (Cowperthwaite) who was second at Loughborough.

Tomer Tarragano, with a number of top 10 spots, ranks seventh ahead of Northern champion and English Schools runner-up Josh Dickinson, who was not at his best in the National.

Inter-Counties bronze medallist Henry McLuckie and a lightly-raced Scottish champion Freddie Carcas complete the top 10. Carcas heads fellow Scots, Hamish Armitt and Hickey who both ran 12:31 in the Scottish relays.

Joe Wigfield, who won the short BUCS race, is followed by Stirling winner Thomas Keen and Glasgow 8km runner-up Alex Ediker.

Kian Davis and Samuel Moakes finished the season well and were followed by Oliver Newman, Jeremy Dempsey and Seyfu Jamaal, who were also impressive in the National or Inter-Counties.

Others to just miss out are National top 10 placers Chris McLeod, Cameron Allan and Joe Hudson, as well as Welsh champion Dominic Smith.

Athletes who achieved the following were considered for the rankings: All European team; Top 12: National, Liverpool, CAU Inter-Counties; Top 10: ESAA, Stirling, Cardiff; Top 6: North, Milton Keynes; Top 5: South; Top 3: Midlands, Scottish

Key of major events: BUCS: British Univ, Card: Cardiff, CAU: Inter-Counties, EC: European, ECR: English XC Relays, Elg: Elgoibar, Kerk: Kerkrade, Liv: Liverpool, Mids: Midlands, Mil K: Milton Keynes, Nat: National; Nth: North, Rots: Rotselaar, Santi: Santiponce, ScEDL: Scottish East District League, Sco: Scotland, SCR: Scottish Relays, SSC: Scottish Short Course, Sth: South, Stirl: Stirling

1 Matthew Willis (Wrex) (2019: 1)
1 Liv 21:13, 9 EC 19:19, 1 Mil K 18:32, 1 Card 19:55, 18 BUCS 33:39 (1 U20), 1 N Staff L 26/10

2 Zak Mahamed (Soton) (2019: 4)
1 Nat 36:27, 11 EC 19:20, 3 Liv 21:31, 21 Mil K 19:26, 2 Card 20:02, 18 CAU snr 40:05, 20 Rots 31:59, 15 Elgoi 34:45, 17 Soest 37:14, 1 Hants

3 Matthew Stonier (Inv EK) (2019: 9 U17)
1 CAU 31:37, 1 ESSA 20:54, 1 Sth 26:05, 72 EC 20:24, 6 Liv 21:39, 2 Stirl 23:41, 3 Mil K 18:44, 1 Rots 21:02, 1 Kt, 1 Kt Sch, ECR 9:04, Sth R 10:07

4 Charlie Hicks (Stan U) (2019: -)
2 Liv 21:31, 5 EC 19:05

5 Joshua Lay (R&N) (2019: 4)
2 Nat 36:42, 8 Liv 21:51, 1 Mids 26:23, 21 BUCS 33:53 (2 U20), 36 Mil K 19:48, ECR 8:56, 1 N’hts

6 Joshua Cowperthwaite (M’bro) (2019: 6)
2 CAU 31:44, 5 Nat 37:06, 9 Stirl 24:17, 2 Santi 23:41, 54 Liv 22:50, ECR 8:56

7 Tomer Tarragano (B&H) (2019: -)
9 Nat 37:52, 9 Liv 21:52, 5 CAU 31:59, 3 Rots 21:05, 4 Stirl 23:47, 2 Sth 26:05, 6 SOT 42:33, 1 Sx, Sx L 3&1

8 Josh Dickinson (Leeds C) (2019: 5 U17)
11 Nat 38:08, 6 CAU 32:02, 2 ESSB 20:56, 1 Nth 26:22, 3 Stirl 23:43, 23 Liv 22:13, 4 Card 20:09, 1 Yks, 1 N Yks Sch

9 Henry McLuckie (SB) (2019: -10 U17)
3 CAU 31:51, 3 Santi 24:01, 15 ESSB 21:38, 15 Card 20:47, ECR 9:11, 2 Hants L 9/11

10 Freddie Carcas (Edin) (2019: 2)
1 Sco 23:42, 12 SSC 12:21 (1 U20)

11 Hamish Armitt (Giff N) (2019: 2 U17)
4 Liv 21:34, 31 EC 19:37, 8 Sco 24:41, 4 Mil K 18:46, SCR 12:31

12 Hamish Hickey (Cent) (2019: -)
2 Sco 23:45, 7 Liv 21:40, 24 BUCS 33:57 (3 U20), 19 Stirl snr 27:00, 1 Sc ED 20:51, 16 SSC 12:34 (2 U20), SCR 12:31

13 Joe Wigfield (Wirr) (2019: 15)
23 CAU snr 40:21 10 Liv 21:53, 1 BUCS 8km 26:43, 2 Mil K 18:41

14 Thomas Keen (C&C) (2019: 19)
9 CAU 32:17, 14 Liv 22:01, 1 Stirl 23:38, ECR 9:10

15 Alex Ediker (Chest) (2019: -)
6 Stirl 24:11, 5 Nth 26:57,2 BUCS 8km 26:48, 27 Liv 22:16, 14 Card 20:35, 5 Derb snr, ECR 9:03

16 Kian Davis (Prest) (2019: -)
4 CAU 31:58, 6 Nth 27:00, 4 Lancs snr 33:11, 28 Liv 22:17, 13 Mil K 19:14, 20 Card 21:00, ECR 9:06

17 Samuel Moakes (SinA) (2019: -)
3 Nat 36:56, 2 Mids 26:49, 29 Liv 22:17, ECR 9:22, BDL 4x 1

18 Oliver Newman (C&C) (2019: -)
12 Nat 38:09, 7 CAU 32:06, 2 Rots 21:04, 5 BUCS 8km 26:56, 5 Stirl 24:07, 52 Liv 22:48, 18 Card 20:53, ECR 9:18

19 Jeremy Dempsey (SB) (2019: 9)
4 Nat 37:02, 56 BUCS 34:55, 3 RAF v EC 31:46, ECR 9:01, 4 Met L 9/11

20 Seyfu Jamaal (Lon Hth) (2019: -)
6 Nat 37:19, 4 Sth 26:18, 1 Lon, 1 Middx, Met Lge 8,4,3

Click here for senior men’s rankings and here for senior women’s. Under-20 women’s rankings can be found here.