South Lakes runners in contention for English Schools Championships (From The Westmorland Gazette)

South Lakes runners in contention for English Schools Championships

5:14pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Sport By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

SOUTH Lakes runners had strong performances at the Northern Counties Schools Cross Country in Kirkby Stephen in freezing conditions on Saturday.

Kirkbie Kendal runners Lauren Munro-Bennett and Mike Hoyle put themselves in contention for selection for Cumbria at the English Schools championships with 12th and 13th places in the senior races, with Queen Katherine School student Robbie Ingham close behind in 15th.

Kirkbie Kendal’s Rory Addison was 19th, with Tom Hartley from QKS in 38th as the best school athletes from Durham, Northumberland, Cleveland and North Yorkshire came together for the frosty races, the third of the series.

In the intermediate boys, Mark Sullivan (QKS) was 45th and the junior boys race saw Chris Richards (KKS) finish 10th and Matthew Senior (QKS) 40th. In the minor boys Cole Blaikie (QKS) was ninth and Jacob Aubrey from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Kirkby Lonsdale, was 16th.

In the junior girls race Mary O’Reilly (QKS) was 29th and Heidi Murray (QKS) 47th while Imogen Burrow (KKS) was 11th and Mia Senior (QKS) 16th in the minor girls race.

Selection for the prestigious English Schools Championships, which will be held in Ilton, Somerset, on March 17, should be announced later this week.

* Heavy snow overnight on Saturday forced the postponement of the Kendal Winter League at Fell End Clouds and the series moves on to Fairmile in the Howgills this Sunday.