Steve Smythe continues our end-of-season merit rankings by taking a look at the under-17 performances

This was another section that was relatively easy to rank with the end of season championships determining most positions with just a few amended because of performances in early season races such as Liverpool.

Beatrice Wood (pictured, 2288) won three titles and was the top under-17 at Cardiff. Though she missed the National she is a very clear No.1, never having lost in her age group all year and she remains in the age group in 2021. She was first under-15 last year in the rankings.

Another first year runner Bethany Cook (pictured, yellow vest) also missed the National and raced lightly but her Loughborough and ESAA runs were sufficient for her to rank second (as she did last year in the U15s) ahead of National winner Maya Todd McIntyre (pictured, 2160), who was also the top under-17 in the ESAA senior race and performed well all season.

Scottish champion Anna Hedley, who was first under-17 at Liverpool, is next best ahead of National runner-up Kirsten Stilwell who had five quality major races.

Pippa Roessler also performed well in the three end of season championships and ranks sixth ahead of Scottish runner-up Hannah Anderson.

National sixth-placer Freya Stapleton is next and she had excellent back up in four other major races.

Midland runner-up Kaitlyn Sheppard was also ultra consistent and the top 10 is completed by Northern champion Lara Crawford, who ran well in the National to place third but was less impressive at Loughborough and Liverpool.

Pippa Carcas is next, mostly on her Loughborough run.

Emily Shaw was fourth in the National and consistent around that level and makes the top dozen.

North of England bronze medallist Alice Jones was another with good across the board results and she is closely followed by Abigail Ives who was just behind her at Loughborough and Milton Keynes.

Naomi Harris’ best result was a National eighth and she ranks just ahead of Scot Julia Cash.

Lauren McNeil would have ranked higher but for a CAU 31st in an otherwise consistent season and she ranks ahead of Welsh champion Sarnia Jones, who would surely have ranked higher had she contested Loughborough.

Lily Neate is ranked 19th almost solely on her National fifth and the top 20 is completed by Martha Collings, who makes it due to her Schools run.

Just missing out was CAU 12th-placer Alice Garner and National ninth-placer Anna Mason.

Midland champion Georgina Campbell beat ranked athletes with her area win but did not match that level in the next three championship races.

Athletes who achieved the following were considered for the rankings: Top 30: Liverpool (10 U17); Top 16: ESAA IG; Top 15: CAU, ESAA SG, Milton Keynes (10 U17), Cardiff (5 U17); Top 12: National top 12; Top 10: Stirling U20; Top 6: South; Top 5: Stirling U17, Mids; Top 3: North, Scotland

Key of major events: BBO = BUCS = British Univ, Card = Cardiff, CAU = Inter-Counties, EC = European, ECR = English X Relays, Elgoibar = Elg, ESIG = English Schools Inter Girls, ESSG = English Schools Senior Girls, Kerk = Kerkrade, Liv = Liverpool, LYG = London Youth Games, Mids = Midlands,  Mil K = Milton Keynes, Nat = National; NE = North East, Nth = North, NSIC = Northern Schools IC, Rots= Rotselaar, Santi = Santiponce, ScEDL = Scottish East District League, Sco = Scotland, SCR= Scottish Relays, SES = South East Schools, SSC = Scottish short course, Sth = South, Stirl = Stirling, SWIC = South West Inter Counties, SWS = South West Schools, Tri C = Tri Counties

1 Beatrice Wood (Salis) (2019: 1 U15)
1 CAU 20:59, 1 ESIG 12:22, 1 South 19:13, 1 U17 SWIC 16:06, 3 Card 15:58 (1 U17) 1 SWS 14:07, 1 Wilts Sch, 1 Tri C 16:24, 1 Hants Lge

2 Bethany Cook (Body) (2019: 2 U15)
2 CAU 21:10, 3 ESIG 12:32 (2 U17), 1 Sx, 1 Sx Sch, Ssx Lge 1, 2

3 Maya Todd McIntyre (Rush) (2019: 6)
1 Nat 21:49, 3 CAU 21:16, 8 ESSG 16:20 (1 U17), 6 Stirl 27:58 (1 U17), 15 Liv 16:30 (2 U17), 5 Mil K 17:20 (2 U17), 9 Card 16:31 (3 U17), ECR 9:16

4 Anna Hedley (Fife) (2019: 3 U15)
4 CAU 21:21, 1 Sco 24:12, 1 Stirl 22:40, 2 Scot Sch 15:57, 9 Liv 15:59 (1 U17) 15:59, 1 Scot ED 21:46, 1 Sco SC 10:15, SCR 9:11

5 Kirsten Stilwell (Wyc P) (2019: -)
2 Nat 21:59, 5 CAU 21:33, 10 ESSG 16:27 (3 U17), 2 Sth 19:16, 4 Mil K (I U17) 17:13, 1 Bucks, 1, 2, 1 Chilt Lge

6 Pippa Roessler (AFD) (2019: -)
7 Nat 22:27, 6 CAU 21:45, 16 ESIG 13:03 (7 U17), 8 Sth 19:55, 1 SIC 17:22, 1 Sy Sch, 5 Sy, ECR 9:14, Hants Lge snr 10, 8, 9, 8, 10

7 Hannah Anderson (E Kilb) (2019: -)
7 CAU 21:48, 2 Sco 24:21, 1 Sco WD 23:29, 10 Stirl 18:33 (4 U17), 17 Liv 16:35 (3 U17), 3 SSC 10:27, 9:30 SCR

8 Freya Stapleton (SB) (2019: -)
6 Nat  22:25, 9 ESSG 16:21 (2 U17), 7 Stirl 28:03 (2 U17), 19 Liv 16:42 (4 U17) 6 Mil K 17:21 (3 U17), 1 Herts U17, 1 Met Lge 12.10, ECR 9:05

9 Kaitlyn Sheppard (Chelt) (2019: -)
9 CAU 21:58, 5 ESIG 12:36 (3 U17), 2 Mids 16:59, 22 Liv 16:44 (6 U17) 16:44, 10 Mil K 17:31 (7 U17), 21 Card 17:08 (8 U17)

10 Lara Crawford (Sale) 22:11 (2019: 7)
3 Nat 22:11, 23 CAU 22:48, 1 Nth 17:45, 41 Liv 17:08, 1 Ches U17, ECR 8:55, NCR 8:10

11 Pippa Carcas (Edin) (2019: 19)
8 CAU 21:55, 1 Scot Sch 16:29, 11 Sco 15:41, 3 Stirl 23:11,52 Liv 17:24 (24 U17) 17:24, 5 Sco ED 22:43, 5 SSC 10:33, SXR 9:29

12 Emily Shaw (W’borne)  (2019: 6 U15)
4 Nat 22:14, 11 ESIG 12:58 (4 U17), 3 Sth 19:19, 4 SWS 14:37, 1 Dors Sch, 1 Dors, 7 Mil K (4 U17), 1 Hants Lge 12.10

13 Alice Jones (Wharf) (2019: 19 U15)  
10 CAU 22:10, 13 Nat 22:51, 18 ESIG 13:05, 3 Nth 17:57, 1 NSIC 16:08, 30 Liv 16:58 (10 U17), 8 Mil K 17:29 (5 U17), 4 Yks, 1 N Yks Sch

14 Abigail Ives (Bas) (2019: 20 U15)
11 CAU 22:13, 15 ESIG 13:03, 5 Sth 19:47, 9 Mil K 17:30 (6 U17), 2 Knole 19:27,1 Esx U17, 1 Esx Sch, 1 LYG 11:42, ECR 9:28, 1 Esx Lge 26/10

15 Naomi Harris (Read) (2019: -)
8 Nat 22:30, 18 CAU 22:36, 15 ESSG 16:56, 6 Sth 19:49, 21 Mil K 18:02 (15 U17), 1 SES 15:27, 4 BBO, 4 Berks, ECR 9:14, SCR 8:35, 5, 2, 1, 1 Hants Lge

16 Julia Cash (Giff N) (2019: 16 U15)
17 CAU 22:36, 4 Sco Sch 16:21, 4 Sco 24:49, 6 Stirl 23:32, 20 Liv 16:43 (5 U17), 2 SSC 10:25, SCR 9:35

17 Lauren McNeil (Mans) (2019: -)
12 Nat 22:39, 11 ESSG 16:31(4 U17), 31 CAU 22:56, 7 Rots 17:00, 4 Mids 17:23, 23 Liv 16:44 (7 U17), 13 Mil K 17:47 (10 U17), 3 Elgo 16:50, 12 Card (5 U17) 16:36, ECR 9:09

18 Sarnia Jones (Men) (2019: -)
1 Wel 18:37, 1 Wel Sch 18:40, 9 Stirl 28:29 (3 U17), 25 Liv 16:52 (8 U17), 10 Card 16:32, (4 U17)1 Nth Wal, 1 Welsh IR

19 Lily Neate (Win) (2019: -)
5 Nat 22:22, 83 ESIG 13:47, 2 SES 14:48, 7 SIC 18:20, 2, 3, 1, 2 Hants Lge

20 Martha Collings (Wok) (2019: -)
12 ESSG 16:33 (5 U17), 25 CAU 22:50, 4 Sth 19:37, 8 SIC 18:25, 2 Sy Sch, 3 Sy, 13 Sy Lge snr 11/1, 2 Sy Lge 12/10

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

Find under-17 men’s rankings here.