BUDDING athletes from Herefordshire put in respectful performances despite being out of their comfort zones at the English Schools Cross Country National Championships.

Whitecross High School pupils Eva Tyler and Matt Brunnock took part in the junior boys' and girls' races while Addy Carter (Hereford Sixth Form College) and Aoibh Clarke (Lucton School) took part in the race at Newsam Park in Leeds recently.

They gained a place on the Hereford and Worcester team based on their performance at the H&W Schools Championships back in January.

Runners in Yorkshire were met by typical winter conditions with wind and rain battering the muddy course.

First taking to the course was year eight pupil Tyler, who is primarily a sprinter and long jumper, so is most at home on the race track which made her team selection an impressive one.

Her race saw a huge field of 354 runners taking part and she put in a respectable performance finishing the three kilometres race in 12 minutes and 49 seconds.

Next was year nine pupil Brunnock who is also a track runner specialising in 800 metres and 1,500 metres races.

He also put in an impressive performance over the longer distance of 4.1 kilometres clocking a time of 15 minutes and 22 seconds and finished 183rd out of 340 competitors.

Tyler and Brunnock are both members of Hereford & County Athletics Club and compete in the Welsh league for HCAC and represent their club in the Gloucester Cross Country League both finishing sixth in the league.

The Senior Girls Race also saw a big field of runners with Carter finishing 227th and Clarke 273rd.