THE weekend's Cheshire Cross Country Championships at Knights Grange in Winsford were a resounding success for Warrington Athletics Club.

Three individual and five team gold medals were secured along with six other individual and five other team medals over the 12 races on a muddy and waterlogged course that got worse as the day went on due to continuous rain.

Among the highlights was Warrington's success at under 17s level, with the boys and girls races resulting in two team gold and four individual medals.

Danny Cliffe, in conditions which suited him best, romped to victory from Stephen Broadhurst, second, with Lawrence Walker in fourth completing the team, while Mat Jackson, fifth, and Mike Williams, ninth, also ran well.

In the girls' race, Rhiannon Rainford, second, combined with Lucy Gemmell, third, and Amy Talbot, fourth, to take the gold medal, with Sophie Stephens finishing 11th.

Earlier, Liam Burthem got the day off to a perfect start with a devastating display of front running that destroyed his opposition for a win by 41 seconds.

Liam led his team of Cameron Field, third, and Tom Kenwright, fifth, to the team gold, while the B team of James Jackson, seventh, Kyle Slater, 18th, and David Gerrard, 23rd, took the bronze medals in a great show of under 11s strength.

And to top that off, Sarah Jervis, fifth, led her team of Ashleigh Wrench, sixth, and Holly Tidd, ninth, to the under 11s girls team gold medal.