Buxton AC Juniors have had the best year in their 30 year history and this week were honoured at the prestigious Derby Telegraphy Awards as finalists in the Junior Team of the Year.

The fell runners have had an outstanding season with success locally winning the U17 – Heather Wilshaw – and U11 – Jonty Brown and Florence Brown – categories in the local Gritstone Series. The Buxton team made up 7 places out of 12 in the Derbyshire Inter-Counties Fell Championships where Will Longden became British Inter-Counties Champion leading the U17 team to Gold and Sam Soles took Silver leading the U19 team to Bronze.

The Buxton AC juniors took 3 Individual Silver medals in the English Junior Fell Championships – U17 Will Longden and Lucy Bednall and U19 Sam Soles. The Buxton AC Team were Silver Medal winners overall in the competition where over 59 clubs from all over the country took part. Add to that success at the English Schools Fell Championships where the Year 12/13 team of Sam Soles, Ed Diamond and Stu Diamond took Gold – it has really been a year to remember!

The icing on the cake came when 4 Buxton Juniors were selected to represent England! Sam Soles travelled to Susa, Italy for the World Mountain Running Youth Cup, and was joined by Lucy Bednall, Will Longden and Will Tighe wearing their England vests at the Fell running Home Internationals held at Llanberis, Wales where the England boys took Gold and girls Silver.

Buxton’s superstars Lucy Bednall and Will Longden represented the Club at the awards which were a star studded affair held at the Round House, Derby, hosted by Sky Sports presenter, Gary Newbold MBE and Olmpic Silver medallist Gail Emms MBE, the team received their award from former professional footballer and radio commentator Roger Davis.

This award follows the club’s recent nomination as England Athletics Club of the Year where again the Club was a finalist. A spokesperson for Buxton AC said, “This year we celebrate 30 years of Buxton AC juniors and what a fabulous year it has been! The Club goes from strength to strength – the U11 have been inspired by the achievements of their older peers who are all fantastic role models. Every single one of the juniors contributes to the success of the club – we are a team, we are a community, we are a family! We have no words to describe the pride we feel and how much our club means to us – Buxton is simply the best!”