ORLA Gregory and Jess Connolly helped Cheshire to a team bronze medal at Saturday’s English Schools Cross Country Championships.

Both Warrington Athletics Club members were competing in the intermediate girls race, with Gregory the third of six team counters as she finish 20th in 13mins 9secs.

Connolly was the final counter as he time of 14mins 24secs was enough for 156th place, while Eva Ferris just missed out on a counting place as she ran 14mins 38secs to finish 189th.

Overall, there were six Warrington members donning Cheshire vests for the race at Liverpool’s Sefton Park amid heavy underfoot conditions.

The junior girls race saw Alice Nicholson finish 202nd in 12mins 44secs and Lucie Davies come home 240th in 12mins 55secs.

The girls were fifth and sixth counters respectively for the Cheshire team which finished in 12th place.

Joe Roberts was the only boy from the club running – he came home 210th in the senior boys race in 24mins 27secs and was sixth counter for a Cheshire team that finish 27th overall.

At the other end of the age spectrum, a Warrington Athletics Club trio brought home team bronze from the British Masters Cross Country Championships.

Dave Norman, David Gill and Steve Burthem teamed up to finish third in the 55-64 age group at Corwen in North Wales on Saturday.

Norman finished 44th overall in 33mins 55secs, with Gill 63rd in 36mins 36secs and Burthem rounding off the Warrington effort in 64th as he clocked 37mins 35secs.

Their combined time of 1hour 48mins 6secs saw them finish shy of winners Swansea (1hour 41mins 39secs) and silver medallists Southampton (1hour 42mins 39secs)

The following day, Gill defied his sore legs to win the over 60s age group at the Liverpool Skyline 10-mile road race.

His time of 1hour 5mins 57secs saw him finish ninth overall and fourth in the masters rankings.