YOUNG athletes from Bromsgrove and Redditch AC excelled at the Worcestershire County Cross Country championships held at Warley Woods in Sandwell on Saturday.

Competing over a hilly course with mixed going underfoot, the club's junior contingent came away with seven individual medals and two team championship titles.

The most successful team was the under-15 girls who filled the first four places overall in the race, which also incorporated athletes from neighbouring Warwickshire.

They were led home over the four-kilometre course by Ellen Bowen, who claimed her first county championship.

She was followed by Alice Battey ,who won the silver medal, Amy Mijovic-Couldwell in the bronze medal position and Anna Nicod.

With three athletes to score for the team championship they achieved the best possible points score.

With Nicod in fourth, Ellie Moss in ninth and Beth Sykes in 14th, Bromsgrove and Redditch were also the first B team.

Conor Smith won the under-17 men’s championship, finishing emphatically with more than a 40 second winning margin for the 6km course.

He led the team to a championship winning performance, with Gareth Richardson taking the bronze medal in third place and Alex Johnson completing the team in eighth spot.

Meanwhile, Tom Deykin took the bronze medal in the under-15 boys’ race and Ruth Gameson did the same in the under-20 women’s race.

Good performances were also achieved by Sophie Groom (8th )and Lauren Sykes (21st) in the under-13 girls.

Harrison Mayne (11th) and Josh Keyte (13th) had high finishes in the under-13 boys, while David Peaty finished 13th in the under-15s.

Megan Nicod came 11th in the under-17 girls’ race and Lewis Anderson competed in the under-20 men’s race.

Coach Vince Rollason has guided all the medal-winning athletes to success.

The athletes who finished the first six places in their race have been selected to represent Worcestershire in the Inter-County championships at Cofton Park on March 12, where they will be hoping for further good performances.