WILTSHIRE sent a squad of 50 athletes to the National Inter-Counties Cross-County Championships at Cofton Park, Birmingham, the senior men finishing 16th, the highest position achieved by the county in the event.

Nyle Clinton (Swindon Harriers) finished 40th, Ben Brewster (Southampton AC) 58th, Simon Nott (Calne Running Club) 118th and Heath Bampton (Oxford AC) 157th. Damian Hall (Corsham Running Club) was 169th and Thomas Hemming (Swindon Harriers) 195th.

In the U13 girls race, India Ibbotson, of Team Bath, led home Wiltshire with a 78th-placed finish and along with Imogen Tanner (IIF) in 206th, Olivia Roderick (IIF) 217th and Rachel Oram (Swindon Harriers) saw Wiltshire finish 39th.

The U13 boys race saw William Morris, of Lavington Athletics, led home Wiltshire in 62nd, supported by Nile Batey in 162nd (City of Salisbury AR&C), James Gordon in 179th (Team Bath) and Oliver Phillips (City of Salisbury) in 228th to take 33rd in the team event.

Jade Littlechild, of Team Bath, led home the U15 girls county team, supported by Sarah Brett of Andover AC in 204th, Swindon Harriers’ Chloe Hayward in 243rd and Louise Webb (City of Salisbury A&RC) in 266th as Wiltshire finished 40th.

Otto Copping (Team Bath) in 160th headed Wiltshire U15 boys, with Niall Thorne (Avon Valley Runners) in 234th, Ethan Pierce (Swindon Harriers) in 245th and Robert Croager (IIF) in 264th as Wiltshire finished 38th.

Despite the efforts of 107th-placed Jaymee Domoney (City of Salisbury), Fabrice Webb (City of Salisbury) in 230th and Jack Warren (Marlborough & District Juniors) in 248th, an incomplete Wiltshire’s U17 men did not score.

A similar fate befell the senior ladies, who suffered a number of withdrawals, leaving it to 182nd-placed Denise Grech (Calne Running Club) and Sarah Warren (City of Salisbury) in 240th to fly the county colours. Gemma Sheppard was the lone U20 Wiltshire ladies athlete and achieved an excellent 20th.