LAVINIA Rai is this week celebrating a gold medal success in her first appearance at the South West Cross Country Championships.

The 13-year-old Swindon Harrier, who is coached by John Dill, joined forces with Freya Buglass (Avon Valley Runners), Imogen Tanner (IIF Salisbury) and Orli Cranston (AVR) to deliver Wiltshire’s only team gold medal of the day at the Exeter Race Course.

“I am really pleased to be part of the winning team and I enjoyed it,” said Rai afterwards.

Rai certainly played her part in the sole county success from the eight-race programme as she worked hard to finish 15th and fourth scorer over a fast course on the top of Haldon Hill as Wiltshire beat a strong Cornwall squad by just five points with Devon in third.

Team manager Rachel Jones said: “The girls ran superbly and did Wiltshire proud.”

In the under-17 men’s race, Swindon Harriers’ Ethan Pierce finished 25th, with club-mates Daniel Patel (37th) and Theo Roberts (43rd) also competing.

The Wiltshire under-13 boys finished fourth, nine points adrift of Dorset. Leading the county charge was Swindon’s Harry Cunningham in 14th, with Daniel Grant (30th), Rhian Clarke (34th) and Harry Woods (37th) in support.

There was also a strong Harrier presence in the under-15 girls’ race, with the quartet of Rachel Oram (32nd), Sophie Capel (44th), Dara Kelly (52nd) and Sophia Bonnetti (53rd).