David Forrester was Merseyside's only medal winner at the National Cross-Country Championships held at Alton Towers.
The St. Helens Sutton junior finished third behind two over age athletes to complete his medal collect which includes a gold from 2007 and a silver from the 2005 event. There was disappointment for Forrester's clubmate Natalie Garrity who completed her journey by taxi after the family car broke down and made it to the venue as the starter's gun fired for her race. There was joy for the Saints' senior women's team of Gemma Connolly, Julia Eccleston, Louise Hogg and Karen Jarvis who beat Liverpool Harriers by fourteen points, while the Under-15 Boys' quartet of John Ashcroft, David Griffiths, Jamie White and Danny Hughes finished 16th, an improvement of six places over 2007.
There were other excellent individual and team performances including Warrington's Danny Cliffe and Steve Broadhurst who were fourth and sixth in the under-17 contest.
Toby Loveridge finished tenth in the Under-15 event, leading LPS colleagues Chris Hatton, Edward Rimmer and Steve Kirkbride into 10th place, four ahead of Wirral.
The Bebington club's quartet of Georgia Busetta, Rebecca Hannah, Emily Murphy and Rachel Patterson were ninth in the U17 team event.
In the senior men's race Richard Burney, John McCole, Mark Keeley, Curtis Robb, John Norman and James Meldrun earned Liverpool a top 10 place, Wirral A. C., led by John Hunt were 22nd, Southport Waterloo 50th, Rob Berry finishing eightieth overall, St. Helens Sutton 53rd and Wallasey A. C. 64th.
Ends
Source - Liverpool Echo - Thursday, 28/02/2008 by Phil Thomas
Ref 1819