THE junior boys starred as Herefordshire and Worcestershire competed at the New Balance English Schools’ Cross Country Championships.

Temple Newsam Park, Leeds, hosted the competition for athletes progressing through school, district and county competitions.

The weather was again one of the challenges with heavy rain and strong winds seeing the wet grass soon turning to mud.

The two counties' junior boys scored 588 points for 12th place over the 4.3-kilometre course with four in the top 100.

They were led in by Henry Faizey, of Woodrush High School, Wythall, in 18th while Samuel Lea (Bishop Perowne College, Worcester), Finnan Robins (Walkwood Middle, Redditch) and Thomas Birley (Malvern College) finished within 10 seconds of each other in 50th, 68th and 75th respectively.

Robins' brother Josh, of Trinity High, Redditch, was the first from the two counties home in the intermediate boys' race in 28th.

Harrison Mayne from St Augustine’s, Redditch, was the next finisher in 164th.

Worcester district schools provided five other members of the team and five of the senior group with boys' overall captain George Beardmore (Royal Grammar School) the highest finisher in 55th over the 7.1km course.

The senior boys scored 867 points for 26th position with Dan Kimber, of Haybridge High, Hagley, 125th, James Dale (Heart of Worcestershire College) 143rd and Malachi Cashmore (The Chase, Malvern) 156th.

The highest female finisher was Natalie Hatfield, of Bromsgrove School, in her first year at the intermediate age group.

She placed 53rd in 14 minutes 40 seconds with Susannah Hoare (Prince Henry’s High, Evesham) 123rd and Lily Saxon (South Bromsgrove High) 159th.

Amelia Hartshorn, another Haybridge pupil, was the team’s highest-placed junior girl in 125th with South Bromsgrove High athlete Esme Ranger only seven seconds behind in 154th.

Two Malvern district schools athletes in Emma Youngs (The Downs) and Poppy Elton (Malvern St James) were 189th and 222nd respectively.

At senior girls' level, county champion Holly Love, of The Chase, was the best team finisher in 151st with Anna Nicod (St Augustine’s) not too far behind in 200th.

Grace Slater (Haybridge) was 215th, Addy Carter (Hereford Sixth Form College) 227th and Orla Walker (Bromsgrove School) 228th.

With all the athletes being in the first year of the age group, they will look to represent the team again next year when the competition moves to Merseyside.