BEN Sutherland was Wycombe Phoenix Harriers’ front-runner as he raced to gold in the Bucks Cross-Country Championships in Milton Keynes.

Sutherland, far right, led from the front to take gold in the U17 men’s run while silvers came from Mateusz Sliwinski and Georgina Russell, right, in the men’s and women’s U20 races.

Lucy Rogers, Olivia Lowrie and Cameron Almand added individual bronzes.

In the team events, Wycombe won silvers in the girls and boys U15 groups.

Meanwhile, Phoenix moved up to tenth place in Chiltern League Division One with a good showing in Luton.

Olivia Lowrie and Kirsten Stilwell raced to first and second in the U11 girls race, the U11 boys were also victorious with seventh-placed Dominic MocDougal and Olly Cay, ninth, leading the way.

At U13 level, Cameron Almand came third in the boys run while Maisie Pennant was the first Wycombe girl home.

In the U15s events, Joe Thrush and Jack Blyth set the pace for Wycombe while Bradley Lawrence, Rogers, Sliwinski and Kieran Gilfedder were the pick of the runners in the older categories.

With just one more round of the season to go, Phoenix are now three places clear of the drop zone.

Team managers Mark Delgado and David Randall said: “All our racers are scrapping for every point and it looks like we will have justified our promotion from last year if we keep it up in the last match at Wing next month.”