TWO Warrington Athletics Club runners were crowned Manchester Area Cross Country League champions after the fifth round on Saturday.

Orla Gregory’s second-place finish in the fifth round at an an extremely wet and muddy Wythenshawe Park secured her the girls’ under 13s title.

The honour was reward for her consistency, having not finished outside the top three throughout the league campaign.

Warrington dominated the under 17s age group, with Joe Buckley taking the overall prize, Jordan Jones finishing joint second and they also lifted the series team title alongside Jack Wadsworth, who was fifth overall, and Charlie Turnbull, 13th.

Warrington Guardian:

Under 17s team gold winners. From left, Jordan Jones, Jack Wadsworth, Joe Buckley and Charlie Turnbull

Buckley shook off illness to be back to near his best on Saturday, taking third place on the day with Jones, fourth, 11 seconds behind. Wadsworth crossed the line eighth and Turnbull 14th.

Warrington Guardian:

Joe Buckley. Picture: Pete Brown Photography

Warrington Guardian:

Jordan Jones. Picture: Pete Brown Photography

Warrington were represented across the age groups at Wythenshawe Park.

Rachel McQuillan was 80th in the senior women’s race, clinching her seventh in the under 20s category and fourth overall.

Caroline Jones recorded 46th to place ninth in the over 40s age group.

Chris Fance (19th overall in the 20-39 age group) and Sam Drinkwater were our only runners finishing in 85th and 140th places with times of 44 minutes 35 seconds and 46 minutes 47 seconds respectively.In the overall result Chris finished in 19th equal place in the 20 to 39 age group in his first year as a senior.

Olivia Baker (11th overall) and Lucy Baxter finished 11th and 12th in the women’s under 17s race.

Other leading finishers for Warrington were Isaaq Ataullah and Joel Birchall, 12th and 13th in the boys’ under 15s race on Saturday, eighth and fifth overall respectively.

In the girls’ race, Jess Connolly was 21st and Faye Humphreys, who was 31st overall, 34th.

The day started with the under 11s races.

Rory Gregory was 10th (11th equal overall) and Jacob Pryor 15th (16th equal overall), with both staying in the age group next season.

In the girls’ race, Eva Karalius was eighth on Saturday and overall. Behind her were Eva Corin Smith, 21st (22nd overall), Rhiannon Wilkes, 33rd (28th overall), Esme Heavey, 41st (27th overall), Harriet Bell, 49th (36th overall).

The team of Karalius, Smith and Wilkes finished sixth on the day, fourth overall.

Behind Orla Gregory in the under 13s girls’ race was Lucie Davies, 18th (20th overall), Maisie Bell, 29th (22nd overall), Molly Wormald, 31st (26th overall), Eva Ferris 35th (21st overall), Amelia Smithers, 51st, and Jasmine Jones, 65th (56th).

The A team of Gregory, Davies and Bell finished in sixth place on the day (fourth overall), while the B team of Wormald, Ferris and Smithers were 10th - but the second B team.

Also in the league, Emily Entwistle was 33rd.