A HOST of Colchester and Tendring Athletic Club runners gained county recognition at the Essex Schools Cross Country Championships, at Hilly Fields.

CATs runners represented North Essex in six different age groups and produced some fine performances, on a bitterly cold morning.

They competed on a challenging course, with more than 350 youngsters taking part.

Athletes who finished in the top six were automatically selected to run for Essex in the English Schools, to be staged in Blackburn in March.

And youngsters who claimed top-16 spots have qualified to represent the county in this month’s Southern Inter Schools event, in Surrey. CATs helped staged the event at short notice, after Chelmsford’s Hylands Park was unable to host the Championships.

The club received praise from Essex Schools Officials, for a well-run event.

They were assisted by the Ranger of the Hilly Fields, St Helena School’s premises department, the Colchester and Tendring committee and Essex Schools Officials.

Results, Junior Boys: Sonny Bastone, fifth, 17m 47s; Junior Girls: Elsie Gray, 41st, 15m 55s. Inter Girls: Lydia Callan, 9th, 17m 46s; Mary Ann Deasy, 11th, 18m 05s; Georgia Sturgeon, 21st, 19m 29s; Eloise Summer, 26th, 19m 40s; Emily Donoghue, 31st, 20m 26s; Jess Riches, 47th, 22m 10s. Inter Boys: Joseph Patterson, 8th, 18m 43s; Benjamin Miller, 11th, 19m 04s; Max Williams, 23rd, 19m 58s; Ewan Chess, 41st, 20m 58s. Senior Women: Hannah Banks, 18th, 21m 22s. Senior Men: Ramandan Osman, 9th, 21m 44s; William Deasy, 12th, 22m 02s.