KARIS Mimms excelled again at the ESAA Sainsbury s English Schools National Cross Country Championship in Liverpool on Saturday. The Beaumont School pupil was competing a year up in the junior girls race and she finished 20th overall. Karis had finished s

KARIS Mimms excelled again at the ESAA Sainsbury's English Schools National Cross Country Championship in Liverpool on Saturday.

The Beaumont School pupil was competing a year up in the junior girls race and she finished 20th overall. Karis had finished seventh in her age group at the national championships recently but she bettered that display at Sefton Park, Liverpool as she was the third from the Under 13s age group to finish. Coach George Harrison praised the Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier. He said: "Karis has been so consistent each time and she has run. She has got better and better. She was third in her own age group when she had been seventh in the national so she reversed the position with a lot of the girls who were in front of her. The girl who finished second in the national was 18th overall only just ahead so it was an excellent run for Karis. She has had a wonderful year."

Karis finished with a time of 13.46 and Megan Steer, of St Albans Athletic Club, ran 15:00 to take 188th place.

The Hertfordshire senior boys team were tipped to take a top three spot in the team race and despite the blow of losing Schools international Cameron Scott, they finished second. Ronnie Sparke of Oaklands College was the first to finish for Herts in ninth place with a time of 21.43. St Albans School cross country captain Dominic Easter finished in 20th with a time of 22.16 and Rhys Glastonbury, Oaklands College, finished 58th running 22.50. Billy Collins came home 122nd with a time of 23.34. Coach George Harrison said: "The senior boys were a bit unlucky. It was horrendous weather for them with the wind, cold and heavy rain. Ronnie Sparke was the best of the boys in ninth. He got up near the top early on and stayed there.