BOLTON Harriers were well represented by young athletes at the National Cross Country Championships in Sunderland, with two top 20 finishes and a host of other good performances.

Tom Carson and Callum Short showed that their hard work with veteran coach Mike Freary is paying off, as both looked at home against the best in the country. Carson continued his fine form with 16th place, while Short was a real revelation, running brilliantly for 12th.

In the under-13 girls, C Jones was 65th and Georgia Taylor 176th, while Fraser Jardine and Rob Ashworth finished 107th and 135th respectively in the under-17 men's race. In the under-15 boys' Andrew Griffin and Jacob McManus were 155th and 173rd.

RESULTS U-13 Girls: 65 Catherine Jones; 176 Georgia Taylor; Finishers 268 (Both girls have competed all season along with Emma Wiggans who missed the race due to injury All three girls are first year U13 and eligible to run as U13 next winter and have already had success coming third team in the Red Rose. Cross Country League: Catherine recently won the Bolton Schools X/C champs with Georgia fourth and Emma 12th. Catherine then went on to come fourth in the Greater Manchester schools X/C championships).

U-13 Boys: 13 Calum Short; Finishers 258 (Calum finished strongly to fight off a group of eight runners who all finished within a four second time scale. Calum has been out for much of the winter season due to injury but his return to X/C has seen him win both his previous races at the Greater Manchester Schools and the Inter Cross Country races against Merseyside on March 3 at Arrowe Park Birkenhead).

U-17 Men: 107 Frazer Jardine; 135 Robert Ashworth.

ALL of the above are first year runners in there respective age groups and still able to compete at the same age next year U-15 Boys: 16 Tom Carson; 155 Andrew Griffin; 173 Jacob McManus; Finishers 266 (Tom recently finished 24 in the inter counties match and continues to improve under coach Mike Freary).