SAM Evans was one of two Warrington Athletics Club runners to win a medal at the Northern Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

While teammate and Great Britain international Harriet Knowles-Jones picked up gold in the under 17s girls’ race, 11-year-old Evans impressed in the under 13s boys’ category, fighting in a leading group to eventually scoop a bronze medal in a time of 11mins 30secs.

He was followed by Ben Harrison, who ran well to finish 49th in 12mins 45secs, and Jordan Jones, whose time of 13mins 3secs was good enough for 71st.

The group effort was completed by Zach Mills (14mins 56secs) in 151st place, meaning the team finished 10th on 274 points.

Lucia Meloni was the youngest runner in action having only met the qualifying age of 11 by a single day, but provided a fine performance in the under 13s girls’ race to finish 75th in 13mins 49secs.

Close behind in 84th was Isabelle Trevithick in 13mins 58secs, while the team was completed by Megan Atherton, 137th in 14mins 32secs, and India Hayes, 146th in 14mins 42secs, to ensure an 18th place finish on 442 points.

Owen Lee was the first club runner to finish in the under 15s boys’ section, his 37th place in 15mins 19secs beating Jack Stubbings’ run of 46th in 15mins 28secs.

Sam Rostron finished 101st in 16mins 32secs.

The girls endured a difficult race in the under 15s girls’ category, starting in a bad position and having to fight their way through the field. Lauren Ferris also had her heel trodden on at the first corner and lost a shoe.

They plugged on regardless, with Ferris battling on to finish 25th in 16mins 45secs despite running with only one shoe on.

Melissa Boyer ran well to finish 47th in 17mins 14secs, while Sarah McGrail managed to work her way up to 49th in 17mins 18secs.

The team was completed by Lauren Goddard in 55th place with a time of 17mins 23secs, placing the team seventh overall on 176 points.

Victoria Ramsbottom suffered when the weather turned wild, struggling with her breathing and dropping back to finish 59th in 17mins 28secs.

Behind her Amy Gibbons finished 74th in 18mins exactly while Georgia Aston-Massey who had lost a shoe in this race last year and had suffered frostbite as a result, finished 95th in 18mins 43secs – this time with both shoes on as she crossed the line.