THE ladies of Bromsgrove and Redditch AC stole the show at the Worcestershire Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Held on Malvern Common, the course was waterlogged and incredibly muddy with many steep inclines and ditches full of water.

As well as runners seeing how they faired against their contempories from other neighbouring clubs the event also served as a selection meeting for a national competition to be held in March.

Those finishing in the top eight were looking at selection for the inter-counties cross country competition which will be held in Cofton Park.

Bromsgrove and Redditch’s senior women were in excellent form as finishes of first, second and eighth ensured team victory.

Katy Anderson finished the six kilometre course first in 26 minutes and 36 seconds, followed by Tamara Ball in second (27.10) and Helen Russell came eighth in 29.02.

There were also strong performances by Melanie Hepke (9th, 29.19), Charlotte Ball (19th, 31.19), Gemma Cone (21st, 31.31), Thomasina Ball (22nd, 31.33) and Jane Anderson (30th, 33.58).

The senior men were second place in the team competition behind Halesowen over the 9.6km course.

Rich Lomas (5th,38.25) and Adam Lloyd (7th, 38.39) were the two members first home for the men’s team.

They were followed by Andy Freeman (27th, 42.38), Steve Williams (29th, 42.50), Kevin Lanckham (30th, 43.14), Sean Bowden (39th, 44.27), Anthony Warner (44th, 45.36), Simon Lanckham (48th, 46.35), Ian Keyte (53rd, 47.19), Mark Appleton (56th, 47.41), Ian Nutter (61st, 49.50) and Phil Anderson (72nd, 53.41).

In the under-17s ladies competition, which was held over 4.8km, B&RAC will be represented by Orianna Ball who placed fourth in 24.57.

In the men’s under-17s category (6km) Callum Smith came fourth in 24.50, James Downing seventh (27.42), Alistair Mandando eighth (29.18) and Lewis Anderson ninth (33.06). Smith, Downing and Mandando took the silver team medal in this category.

The under-15 girls competition saw Ruth Gameson take seventh place in 18.01 over the 3.6km course and Molly Tompkin finishing 10th in 18.44.

In the under-13 girls 3km competition Halesown runners took the top four places just ahead of Megan Nicod (5th, 4.10), Livvy Worth (6th, 14.24), Amy Mijovic-Couldwell (7th, 14.50) and Amy Tongue (8th, 15.31).

Thea Bartoszewicz placed 13th in 18.46. Nicod, Worth and Mijovic-Couldwell were runners-up in the team standings.

Joshua Wiseman placed sixth (13.20), Nicholas Jones 11th (14.53) and Jordan Hardgreaves 17th (16.08) in the boys under-13s section.