COLCHESTER and Tendring Athletics Club youngsters produced strong performances at the Essex Schools Cross-Country Championships.
The event took place in muddy, strength-sapping conditions at Chelmsford’s Hylands Park.
Elsie Gray clinched an English Schools finals place, finishing seventh in the senior girls' race - a great result after her disappointment at missing out by one place in 2017.
Amy Thompson (33rd) and Rebecca Ventre (35th) also performed well in the inter-girls' race, on their Essex schools debuts.
For the boys, Aidan Cahill (11th) and Jack Wharton (17th) secured Essex spots in the inter-counties race at Newbury in February.
The senior boys' event was a gruelling race of two laps in the oozing mud.
Freddie Richardson battled to 12th place, just ahead of team-mate Ben Miller (13th).
Jonathon Lord finished in a respectable 31st.
Meanwhile, in similar conditions, CATs member Matt Brayshaw won his schools race at Wellingborough to qualify for the Anglian Schools race at Holbrook.
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