TOP young athletes from Herefordshire and Worcestershire went to Leeds for the New Balance English Schools’ Cross Country Championships.

The wind, sleet, snow and cold added to the challenge of facing up to 350 athletes from 44 counties.

The two counties’ best team result came in the junior boys’ age group where 663 points placed them 15th.

Four finished in the top 100 led by Max Price from Haybridge High, Hagley, in 79th, and Henry Faizey (Woodrush High, Wythall) in 81st with both clocking 15 minutes 33 seconds.

Only two and five seconds behind were Josh Robins (Trinity High, Redditch) and Joe Cunliffe (Ridgeway Academy, Astwood Bank) in 87th and 96th respectively.

The team’s top two finishers in the intermediate boys’ race were Scott Jones (Wigmore High, Leominster) and Harrison Mayne (St Augustine’s High, Redditch) in their first year at the age group.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s highest-placed individual was Lily Saxon from Ridgeway Academy who was 32nd in the junior girls’ category in 12.09, just over a minute behind the race winner Bea Wood from Wiltshire.

Also inside the top 100 was Natalie Hatfield from Bromsgrove School in 84th and Libby Hawkswell (Bewdley High) who was less than a minute behind.

Their team total was the highest among the three girls’ teams.

Lottie Roberts from Prince Henry’s High, Evesham, was the best placed intermediate girl in 116th position.

Georgia Fox (Nunnery Wood High, Worcester) was the next home closely followed by Holly Love from The Chase, Malvern.

In the senior girls’ race, Chloe Wheeler (John Kyrle High, Ross-on-Wye) was first home in 89th.

Girls’ team captain Abbie Saker (Bromsgrove School) was close behind in 98th and Ellen Bowen (St Augustine’s High) was the third-placed athlete in the team.

The senior boys ran 6.8 kilometres over the toughest ground conditions after the other five races.

George Beardmore from Royal Grammar School, Worcester, surpassed his performance last year with a top-50 place in his first year as a senior.

The next athlete home also represented a Worcester school — Jake Cavens from Christopher Whitehead.