SATURDAY was County Cross-Country Championships day with St Helens Sutton A.C. members competing in both the Cheshire and Merseyside events.

The Cheshire event was held in Birchwood Forest Park, Warrington.

In the Senior Ladies race Gemma Connolly (L35yrs.) was in the leaders for most of the race and finished fourth with a time of 35 min.08 sec.

In the U20yrs Ladies race, Rachel McGoldrick was ninth with a time of 30 min.24 secs.

The club finished complete teams in the men's and women's Merseyside championships held in a misty Sherdley Park despite being beset by illness which accounted for some of the club’s leading runners.

The senior men’s team was again led home by Matt Crehan in13th. place with a time of 45 min.27 secs, Greg Williams (43rd, 50 min.51 sec.) led the rest of the team, Ian Costello(M45) (51st.52 min.35 secs), Barry Graney(M (62nd, 53 min.55 secs.) and an unwell Jake Healy (80th., 55 min.28 secs).

The team was completed by Andy O'Connor (89th, 59 min.06 secs.) and scored 337 points for fifth position.

Ray Vose, whose course design was widely praised as ideal for competition and spectating, provided backup finishing in a time of 67 min.56 secs.

The ladies' foursome of Rachel Beesley (24th., 38 min.15 secs.), Amy Corfield (42 nd., 41 min.51 secs.), Julia Shuker(L35), (48th. 43 min.37 secs.) and Louise Hogg, (L35) (49th., 43 min.32 secs.) scored 183 points to finish in tenth spot. In the 3 km.Under13years age group Lucy Bridge was 29th. (14 min.32 secs.) in the Girls event, in Boys, Michael Dobson won the medal for the first unplaced competitor finishing in sixth place running 12 min.14 secs.

Michael Brussels narrowly missed out in the 4km. U15yrs. Boys finishing 8th in 16 min.22 sec. where he was well supported by S. Aldred (11th, 18 min.16 secs.) and L.Houghton (15th, 19 min.52 secs.). and Amy Bridge(15th. in 20 min.15 secs finished in the U15 Girls respectively while Caitlin Harrison contested the U11yrs. 1.5km finishing 35th. in 7 min.28 secs.