BUCKS runners had the opportunity to test the Hughenden Park ground ahead of the Bucks Schools Cross-Country Championships when they competed in the Wycombe Phoenix-organised Schools Cross-Country event.

More than 300 runners from over 20 schools took part with St John’s taking the Chris Aperghis title for the best overall junior school.

They won the girls team event for year five and six and also added the year five boys race for good measure. Bobbie Tomkins-Hawes, Georgia Wilson and Elle Treacher-Morley helped them to victory in year five, Iona McKinnon, Annabelle Whiting and Daisy Mossop were the winning year six combination and Henry Bambrick, Theo Fewell and Will Roberts were the triumphant year five boys.

The year six boys race delivered the closest individual race of the day, with only one second covering the first four boys home.

Thomas West of St Johns took the tape, with the next three athletes given the same time.

At U13 level, Emma Delgado of Beaconsfield High dominated proceedings with a 47-second winning margin.

Supported by Imogen Deighton and Sophie Chesterman, Beaconsfield also picked up the team gong.

Wycombe High (Amy Gant, Sophie Biswas and Hebe Grout) were second, but they returned with a vengeance in the U15 and U17 races, winning individual and team honours. Rebecca Riches, Sophie Street and Katherine Skipper were one, two and three in the U13s race while Maryse Haynes topped the U17s charts with Immy Hillier third and Kirsty Atkins fourth.

In the U18s, Pippa Woolven of Sir William Borlase came home more than three minutes ahead of Chloe Mays (Wycombe High), who beat third placed Sarah Dyson by a similar margin.

On the boys’ side, Harry Sutherland of Gayhurst led the U13 race from the gun to beat Wycombe Phoenix club-mate James Kinston into second.

Joseph Thrush (third), Jack Blyth (fifth) and Conor Rooney (sixth) helped Sir William Borlase’s to team gold while RGS matched them at U15 level thanks to James Roberts (fifth) Ben Sendall (sixth) and David Bailey (tenth).

Individually, Sir William Ramsey pupil Matthew Axe won it from James Veitch of Sir Williams Borlase’s.

In the U17s race, Alex Goodall of RGS came home first ahead of Tom Claessens (Sir William Borlase’s) and Kieran Gilfedder (John Hampden).

Claessens, Callum Robertson and Ross Arthur helped Sir William Borlase’s to the team victory while at U18 level Josh Williams of RGS came home ahead of Wycombe Phoenix Harrier Philip Lipman.