Thrilling show at National Cross Country champs

KARIS Mimms continued her rapid progress with an exceptional performance at Alton Towers in the National Cross Country Championships on Saturday. The talented Beaumont School athlete was tipped for a top-10 place in the Under 13s Girls after taking 12th s

KARIS Mimms continued her rapid progress with an exceptional performance at Alton Towers in the National Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

The talented Beaumont School athlete was tipped for a top-10 place in the Under 13s Girls after taking 12th spot in the South of England Championships recently. Karis took on the challenge and a surge up the hill to the finish ensured she moved up from 20th place to finish in an outstanding seventh in 11.56. Coach George Harrison hailed the Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier. He said: "Karis was in 20th place with half a mile to go and up the long hill into the finish she motored past most people. She has had a good season. To be seventh in Britain is outstanding especially when she was 12th in the South of England Championships."

Karis is now preparing for the National Schools Cross Country in Liverpool where she will be running up an age group, against older girls.

In the Senior Women, Vicky Webster took 37th place with a time of 26.38 and coach Harrison felt the short course was a hindrance to her efforts to move up the field. He said: "It wasn't far enough for Vicky. She is a strong girl and she was running on at the finish on Saturday. There was a time when she was in the 50s and 60s. Vicky is now training for the London Marathon Silverstone Half Marathon on Saturday, March 8."

Former St Albans Girls School pupil Rachel Felton fought off illness to finish 16th with a time of 25.23. The winner was Great Britain international regular Liz Yelling (23.44). Harrison said: "It was a nice course, undulating and quite dry but rather short. Rachel wasn't at all well. She was debating whether to run or not because she has not been well since she came back from Belgium where she was running for England."

Euan Mackenzie led home the local challenge in the Under 17s boys with a time of 16.15 to finish 79th, ahead of Niall Fleming (16.16) in 82nd place and Billy Collins (16.29) in 98th.

Becky Gardiner of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers finished with a time of 16.26 to take 50th place in the Junior Women, ahead of Claire Miles in 58th (16.53). Shaftesbury took seventh in the team race with Sarah Waldrow leading them home in fifth.

Former St Albans School cross country captain Orlando Edwards came in 37th in the Senior Men, with a time of 34.18. Rising star Glen Watts finished 54th and coach Harrison said: "Glen has only been with me since August and to come in 54th was out of this world.