HALESOWEN athletes helped themselves to a huge clutch of medals this week when they hosted the Worcestershire County Cross Country Championships.

With athletes facing some of the toughest conditions they’d ever raced in due to heavy rain, the course, which was situated behind Halesowen AC’s headquarters in Manor Way was reduced to a sea of mud in places.

The Under-13’s were first to compete with victory going to Worcester AC’s Jake Cavens who finished almost a minute clear of his closest rival.

Halesowen packed superbly taking fourth, fifth sixth and seventh places through Charles Sapwell, Tom Bailey, Kodie Murphy and Billy Shaw to bag first team prize.

In the girls Under-13 event, Halesowen’s Grace Pritchard chased home winner Ellen Wikeley from Worcester to claim second spot.

Orla Pritchard and Kitty Luscombe provided support as Halesowen finished second team behind Bromsgrove and Redditch.

Halesowen took third place in the Boys Under-15 event, Ben Willetts leading the team home, followed by Keiran Walker and Thomas Parker.

Worcester took top prize ahead of Bromsgrove and Redditch.

Abigail Saker stole the show for Halesowen in the Under-15 girls contest, winning for the third year in a row, her two previous triumphs coming at Under-13 level.

Halesowen dominated this age group with Lily Higgins third and Livvy Worth coming home fifth to clinch the team prize with ease and they also had Chloe Fitzpatrick in seventh spot for good measure.

With four races completed, the course was by now becoming increasingly muddy and more of a challenge as the Under-17 Men’s race started.

Worcester’s Declan McManus took the race ahead of Birchfield’s Will Richardson, but Halesowen runners packed extremely well to take the team event through Sam Efiong, Niall Geraghty, Josh Timmins and Jonathan Lewis.

Kidderminster and Stourport’s Briony Haines took first place in the Under-17 Ladies race beating Worcester’s Nixie Turner into second spot while Halesowen’s Phoebe Dodd held onto third place ahead of Bromsgrove and Redditch’s Katie Plummer.

Halesowen just missed out on another winner’s medal in the Men’s Under-20 event where Worcester’s Lewis Roberts edged out Joe Donkin in a tremendous tussle, with only one second separating them on the line. The pair finished a minute clear of third placed runner Thomas Stock from Worcester.

They were chased in by Halesowen pair Sam Lloyd-Perks and Max Parker.