THE second round of the West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Cup pitted youngsters from Ellesmere Port against pupils from the Chester district.
Neston's Joseph O'Riordan won the Year 7 boys' race in 5:38 and was pushed to a close finish by runner-up Michael Wright who clocked 5:40. Ben Keating (6:05) finished third in the event, staged at Cheshire Oaks High School in Ellesmere Port.
Chris Goodwin from Ellesmere Port Catholic High romped home to success in the Year 8 boys event with a time of 8:39.
In the Year 8 section, Amy Collins from Ellesmere Port Catholic High clocked a time of 10:42 to get second place for the girls, behind Chester Catholic High's Abbie Noble who won with a time of 9:37. Cheshire Oaks' Emily Taylor came third with 11:50.
It was a closer call for Oliver Wedge-wood of Whitby Heath. He took the Y6 boys race in a time of 2:59, just three seconds clear of runner-up Jack Roberts from Brookside Primary.
Y6 pupil Alex White of Neston secured third with a time of 3:26, a second behind a photo finish between winner Hannah Crump of Farndon and Frodsham's Emma Pyatt of St Luke's Primary, both on 3:25. In the Year 7 girls, Sutton High's Karry Broster's time of 6:32 was enough to also get third, behind Tessa Mc-Cormick of Upton High (5:30) and Bishop Heber's Bryony Archdeacon (5:43).
