ELLESMERE Port played host to a major cross country event on Saturday.

The Cheshire Schools Cross Country Championships, staged at Whitby High School, attracted hundreds of athletes from across the county.

The top performers secured their place in the Cheshire Schools team for next month’s Inter-Counties Cross Country match against the West Midlands.

Amy Hinchly will spearhead the Cheshire squad at Barony Park, Nantwich, on February 4.

The Tarporley High School pupil won the junior girls title on Saturday.

She will be joined by Hannah Willis (Chester) who finished 12th in the junior girls race at Whitby, and by Chester’s Rebecca Hurst and Ellesmere Port’s Emily McCubbing, who finished eighth and 14th respectively in the intermediate girls event.

Ellesmere Port’s Olivia Waring finished seventh in the minor girls event.

The Chester-based trio of Will Parsons (third), Cameron Weaver (fifth) and Zac Holland (10th) qualified for the Cheshire junior boys team, while Chester’s Matt Sheen (fourth) and Ben Paxton (12th) will join forces with Ellesmere Port’s Dominic Roberts, who finished 14th at Whitby.