A FORTNIGHT on from her National Championships win, Grace Copeland completed the British Athletics Cross Challenge Series in a frustrating third place.

After an intervening illness had left her well short of top form, the Wimborne AC under-13 battled to 30th place in the Inter-Counties Championship in Birmingham. With double points for the final round, however, she was left just two points behind the winner and one adrift of second.

Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships – Dorset results, Under-17 Men: 73 Andrew Smith (PR) 20:09, 74 Jason Sotheran (WAC) 20:10, 111 Fergus Johnson (DAC) 20:37, 127 Ryan Walbridge (WAC) 20:45, 196 Liam Ackerman (DAC) 21:33, 237 Niall Instone (PAC) 22:32, 252 Matthew Lay (PAC) 23:09, 264 Josh Downie (WAC) 24:17.

Under-15 Boys: 25 Sam Brown-Araujo (PR) 16:58, 108 Ashley Parker (PAC) 17:56, 142 Dominic Willmore (PR) 18:14, 165 Piers Copeland (WAC) 18:31, 200 Andrew Dumbrell (DAC) 18:50, 231 Michael Biss (WCH) 19:18, 272 Sebastian Hearn (BAC) 20:54. Under-13 Boys: 21 Jed Skilton (PAC) 11:09, 83 Michael Johnson (WAC) 11:43, 182 Daniel Baynham (WAC) 12:13, 188 Luke Baker (WCH) 12:15, 192 Elliott Symes (WAC) 12:15, 236 Fred Harris (PAC) 12:35, 258 Ben Wedlake (PR) 12:49, 296 Oliver Howse (PR) 13:30.

Under-17 Women: 48 Elisabeth Hood (PAC) 21:23, 100 Emma Butterworth (PAC) 22:18, 116 Charlotte Baker (WCH) 22:30, 148 Mollie Hansford (DAC) 23:07, 186 Abbie Hine (WAC) 23:48, 193 Leanne Symington (PR) 26:02, 247 Ella Hearne (WAC) 26:24.

Under-15 Girls: 39 Bridget Dence (BAC) 18:40, 122 Lucy Ballam (WAC) 19:54, 124 Bess Bickel (PR) 19:55, 140 Rachael Jefferies (PAC) 20:06, 148 Flora Johnson (DAC) 20:16, 161 Abgail Rutter (PAC) 20:24, 253 Maddie Williams (WAC) 22:18, 196 Abbie Hine (WAC) 20:09, 20:25, 231 Lucy Brain (PR) 20:37.

Under-13 Girls: 30 Grace Copeland (WAC) 12:20, 193 Madeleine Johnson (DAC) 13:24, 221 Elsa Charlwood (BAC) 13:50, 235 Emily Jeffries (PAC) 13:55, 243 Holly Early (PR) 13:58, 276 Bethanie Kingswell-Farr (WAC) 14:21, 277 Katie Corbin (PAC) 14:21, 304 Isabelle Kingswell-Farr (WAC) 15:52.

Key to clubs: BAC – Bournemouth AC, DAC – Dorchester AC, PAC – Poole AC, PR – Poole Runners, WAC – Wimborne AC, WCH – Wells City Harriers.