Shaftesbury Barnet's powerful U17 women's team, already road relay champions, completed an excellent national double, adding the cross-country title at Mansfield on Saturday.

In the 3x2.5km event, Emma Hunt got them off to a good start, finishing third in 9mins 5secs and, after Chloe Wilkinson moved up to second place in 9mins 16secs, Victoria Webster went to the front on the final leg, clocking 9mins 28secs.

Shaftesbury (27min 49secs) won from Bedford County (27mins 58secs) and Medway and Maidstone (28mins 20secs).

Shaftesbury's senior men's and women's teams also did well, finishing as runners-up.

In the men's race (4x5km), Francois Vanresnburg was seventh on the first leg in 15mins 39secs.

After Andy Magnall dropped back to tenth in 16mins 14secs, Dominic Bannister improved seven places to third in 15mins 11secs and Emile Dejonge came in second in 15mins 28secs.

Bannister runs in the Reebok Cross-Challenge at Margate next weekend, hoping to clinch his place in the British team for the European Championships in Switzerland next month.

Salford (1hr 2mins 6secs) won from Shaftesbury (1hr 2mins 22secs), with Newham and Essex Beagles third.

After Sally Ann Cox finished 14th in 10mins 56secs after the 3km first leg of the senior women's race, Lucy Elliott stormed to the front in 9mins 59secs. But, despite a good effort, Caroline Walsh (10mins 41secs) was overhauled by Hayley Yelling on the last stage.

Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow won in 30mins 53secs, closely followed by Shaftesbury (31mins 36secs), well clear of Salford (32mins 13secs).

In the junior men's contest, Tom Bedford got Shaftesbury off to a good start when fourth in 9mins 5secs.

He handed over to Richard Williams who came sixth in 9mins 27secs and on the final leg, Stephen Murphy improved to fifth with a time of 9mins 10secs.

The junior women were unable to field a complete team as Sarah Stanmore was unwell but Jade Wright (6th in 9mins 9secs) and Jo Ankier (4th in 9mins 20secs) ran well.

The U17 boys were 11th (Joshua Morris 20th 10mins 4secs; Alec Hodgkinson 9th 9mins 38secs; and Sam Hall 11th 10mins 4secs).

The U15 boys were18th (Waturi Kawai 32nd 7mins 12secs; Edward Kearon 30th 7mins 9secs and Ed Pisano 18th 6mins 46secs).

The U13 boys were 15th (Rory Macphee 30th 7mins 54secs; Chris Purdue 17th 7mins 35secs and David Barr 15th 7mins 51secs).

The U15 girls were 10th (Laura Hunt 26th 8mins 8secs; Lindsay Barr 13th 7mins 31secs and Sarah Waldron 10th (7mins 49secs).

The U13 girls were 16th (Genna Prince 29th 8mins 42secs; Sinead Nash 24th 9mins 6secs and Lara Clark 16th 7mins 59secs).

November 14, 2001 18:03