Genuine podium prospects for GAC at Crystal Palace

THE Guernsey Athletics Club expect record results as they pitch two optimal senior squads to the Southern Area Road Relays on Sunday at Crystal Palace.

Louise Perrio, who is soon to take over as Guernsey Athletics Club endurance director from Paul Ingrouille, is part of a strong women's squad heading to the Southern Area Road Relays. (22570791)

England international Ryan Burling is a sterling ambassador for the club’s strong men’s 6x6km team, with rapidly-improving James Priest having also proven a bright prospect at senior level in recent months.

But much of the team’s horsepower stems from the junior and under-23 ranks, with Richard Bartram, Dan Galpin and Ed Mason adding further strength to the new-look men’s team although an 11th-hour change sees Richard Hann come in for Alex Rowe.

Two-time Commonwealth Games athlete Sarah Mercier will once again grace Guernsey’s quintessential women’s 4x4.5km quartet, which also features Louise Perrio, Jenny James and Laura McCarthy.

With Mercier and Perrio remaining GAC’s best-ever distance girls and the latter two having improved considerably since the same team ranked 20th nationally in 2016, the Guernseywomen stand as Southerns podium contenders as they seek to surpass their record fourth-place finish from 2010.

‘I’m really pleased that we have a cohort of women now who are all near or sub-18 minutes for 5k, which should make them very competitive,’ said current endurance director Paul Ingrouille.

‘And for the men’s squad, obviously Ryan Burling is a great addition but our case is helped massively by the improvement of our sort of university-based athletes – all of them are now sub-16min. 5k runners, really.’

A solid veteran 4x6k quartet of Sean Galpin, Warwick Helps, Simon Ingrouille and Adie Lihou will also step up in London as GAC’s third offering in the annual relays.