BLACKHEATH and Bromley (B&B) enjoyed a successful South Of England Championships in biting cold weather at Bicton College in Exeter.

The club picked up three sets of medals in the 10 Championship races contested by teams from the 19 counties that make up the Area.

Best performance of the day came from the under-15 girls where Kent Champion Amy Smith led the scoring quartet to silver medals.

She timed 16mins for the 4km course to claim 10th place. Amy Dematos and Rebecca Smith, both first years in this age group, worked their way through to 13th and 19th places before Catherine Chambers tore up the last hill to overtake 10 runners to finish 51st and clinch the second place medals.

Prospects look good for the under-15s next year judging by the performance of the under-13 girls. Some positive running from Michelle Fewster saw her rewarded with a fine 10th place and with Danielle Critchley hanging on well for 25th and excellent runs from Sophie Gordon (32nd) and Emma Hook (53rd) the team won bronze medals.

There were also bronze medals for the junior men. James Poole led them home in 25th place with Andrew Conway 45th and Richard Daniel 51st before Dale Willis closed in 77th to secure the medals.

There was so nearly a fourth set of medals but the under-13 boys just missed out by five points on third place.

They were actually placed fifth with the four scorers - Joe Harding (31st), Hector Kurtyanek (36th), Robert Yates (43rd) and James Clack (44th) - all finishing within 10 seconds of each other while Will David and Philip Seseman were just behind in 59th and 61st places.

The biggest turn out from the club on the day came from the senior women.

They fielded 10 runners who were led home by Fran Green, a racer with B&B since she was an under-13.

She finished 59th and with Bella Clayton 90th, Kate Pratten 99th and the fast-improving Kirsty Philp in 112th the team finished 14th as the first Kent club to finish.

The senior men won this race seven times in eight years in the 90s and were fourth last year but with a number of absentees had to settle for 14th.

Nevertheless there was a titanic battle between Alex Gibbins and Jamie Atkinson for the honour of leading B&B home.

It was Alex who prevailed in 44th with Jamie 46th, both recording their highest ever positions in this race.

Bryony Proctor had a good run in her first year in the under-20 women's age group.

She came in 20th place but was the club's sole finisher as was Lauren Smith who finished in 72nd place in the under-17 women's race.

Alex Bruce-Littlewood had a good run to place 42nd in the under-17 men's race, just clear of Jonathan Vintner who was 49th.

The under-15 boys finished in 16th place led home by Stephen Cavey in 28th.

Elsewhere, Scott Overall broke the Butler University Indoor Mile record at the Notre Dame Invitational.

He ran an outstanding 4.00.53 for the mile.

Meanwhile at Bloomington, Andy Rayner was second over 3,000m in a new best of 8.15.70.

Michael Skinner opened his indoor campaign at the Norwich Union International at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow.

Representing the Commonwealth Select he finished in third place in the 1,500m in 3.44.94.

In the under-17's 60m James Alaka timed a useful 7.06ssc for third place just one hundredth slower than the winner.