A SWATHE of South Cumbrians achieved top ten finishes in the Cumbria Schools Cross Country Championships.

Podium finishes from competitors across South Lakeland and Copeland provided the highlight to the event, which took place on Saturday, January 24.

The South Lakes dominated the primary boys event at Kirkby Stephen School as they claimed all top nine positions in the final rankings.

The high-flying Fraser Sproul, from Sedbergh, claimed yet another victory and he was closely followed by Langdale's Daniel Sanderson and Hawkshead's James Thornley.

The boys left the Furness competitors in their wake and it was a similar story in the girls event too.

Anna Mason of Allerdale put in a memorable performance to claim victory in the girls race.

Mason beat off strong competition from the likes of Waberthwaite's Emily Swarbrick and Windermere Prep's Lilian Lews who came second and third respectively.

In the Minor Boys event, which features runners in Year 7, St Bernard's students provided the most notable performances from the region.

The Barrow-in-Furness school saw student Harvey Cooper grab himself a top ten finish, coming home in eighth.

He was followed by schoolmates Luke Broadbent and Charlie Thompson who came in in a credible 12th and 13th respoectively.

The best finish from South Lakeland in the Minor Girls event came from John Ruskin School's Courtney Hutchinson.

She managed to finish sixth overall after putting clear distance between herself and the Barrow-based runners such as Ulverston Victoria'sw Sally Cooper, who finished just outside the top ten in 12th place.

South Lakeland's dominance did not stop there.

Two of the three podium places went to Ben Edmondson, of John Ruskin School, who came second and Windermere's Oliver Gajdowski, who finished in third.

Controversy marred the end of the championships as Barrow's Emily Duerden, who finished third in the girls senior race, was disqualified bor running outside her age group.

The keen basketball player stepped-up an age group to take on older competitors and showed her class as an athlete but judges deemed it to be an illegal move and disqualified her - despite the fact she ran 400m further than she would have done in her own age group.