VALE Royal Athletics Club runners enjoyed success running in the Cheshire Schools Cross Country Championships at Knight’s Grange on Saturday.

Over the course of the six races, Vale athletes achieved three wins, two second and two third-place finishes.

The wins were secured by Rhys Bowden, Grace Roberts and Jake Wilson.

Vale’s 15 top-seven finishers should all be selected for the county in the English Schools Championship in March.

Results of Vale Royal runners: Under 15s girls: Charlotte King 2nd, Nancy Carrington 9th, Imogen Ward 12th, Lauren Weedall 21st, Olivia Proudlove 28th, Martha Bright 29th, Elise Fawkes 34th.

Under 15s boys: Ethan Price 20th, Noah Simpson 21st, Jake Done 28th, Thomas Messenger 45th.

Under 17s girls: Zoe Broughton 5th, Ruby Carrington 9th, Anna Smith 12th.

Under 17s boys: Rhys Bowden 1st, Thomas Taylor 3rd, Alex Macnab 5th, Thomas Corwood 6th.

Under 19s women: Grace Roberts 1st, Holly Weedall 2nd, Isobel Ashcroft 4th, Ellie Bushill 5th, Hope Smith 7th.

Under 19s men: Jake Wilson 1st, Isaac Leydon 3rd, Jack O’Reilly 4th, Elliot Davies-Hayes 6th Saturday also brought the annual celebration of college and university cross country athletics, namely the BUCS Championships, at Pembrey in South Wales.

Vale Royal’s Emily Lowery, racing for Cardiff University, came a very creditable 14th in the women’s short race over 6060m in a field of over 400. Emily was first scorer for her team which placed ninth overall.

John Humphries was 51st in the men’s short race over 8280m in a huge field of 540. His Loughborough University team came first overall.

Loughborough also won the men’s long race over 10500m in which Raif Serif, representing fifth place St Mary’s University, came 44th in the field of 256.

Aaron Doyle, 119th, and Matt McCormack, 154th, represented Lancaster and Leeds Beckett Universities respectively.