Basildon athlete Hayley Stibbs was part of a remarkable success story in the intermediate girls' race at the Essex Schools Cross-Country Championships.

The first three home at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, were all first year intermediates who will be eligible for the same age group next year.

Four of the eight places for the intermediate team for the English Schools Championship on March 8 in Brighton will be filled by athletes from the first year group.

Hayley, running for Basildon Schools, was second in 12 mins. 31 secs.

The Essex event was dominated by Mid-Essex, who won four of the six team prizes. The only exceptions were the intermediate boys, which went to Southend, and the junior girls, won by Havering.

The first eight in each race make up the County line-up for the English Schools race, while the top 16 run for Essex in the Inter-Counties Schools event, to be held at Southampton, on February 15.

Published Friday, January 24, 2003

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