WILTSHIRE newcomer Louisa Warwick stamped her class on the South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships held at Truro School, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 17-year-old Marlborough College student proved what a great ‘signing’ she will be for the county schools’ team as she romped to victory in the senior girls’ race, overcoming early leader Hannah Alderson of Avon before streaking clear to win by 16 seconds.

“I am very happy with that as before the race I was hoping for a top three finish,” said Warwick.

“My coach told me to go off steady and then come through and that’s what I did. I liked the course and it was a good race.”

Warwick is in her first year as a boarder at Marlborough College having previously been based in Hampshire.

She is a class athlete having represented England in the British Schools’ Championships for the past two seasons and will be one of Wiltshire’s best hopes of a top 10 finish at the English Schools’ Championships, in Manchester, on Saturday, March 20.

Warwick’s success was one of four gold medals won by county athletes, a superb achievement which alongside two silvers and a bronze put the county top of the medal table against their rivals from Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Hardenhuish School student Loren Bleaken achieved a notable success as she retained the junior girls’ title she won at Taunton 12 months ago.

The 14-year-old has found this season tough going but her ability to rise to the occasion shone through, as she waited patiently as Dorset’s Isobel Glaisher forced the early pace and made her move at the start of the second lap.

“My coach warned me about the Dorset girl so I kept behind her to start with and when I heard her start breathing harder I overtook her and pushed on,” said Bleaken.

“It is really nice to regain my title and I’m very pleased.”

The other two golds both went to students from St Laurence School, in Bradford on Avon, with Alex Carter winning the junior boys’ race and Hayden Burton the minor boys.

The two silvers were won by Miles Burton (St Laurence) and Lucy Rochford (Godolphin) while Imogen Wolsley (South Wilts Grammar) added the bronze.

Lillie Bellamy of Commonweal School just missed out on an individual medal in the junior girls’ race, finishing fourth, but with support from schoolmate Emma Piatek (16th), was in Wiltshire’s gold-medal-winning team squad.

Simon Nott of Calne’s John Bentley School also had to settle for fourth in a very competitive inter boys’ event.

SENIOR BOYS INDIVIDUAL 1 Charlie Maclean (S) 24;12; 2 Rob Galt (G) 24:16; 3 Brett Halliwell (A) 24:48; 4 Elliot Buckner (D) 25:09; 6 Gregg Halliwell (A) 25:07.

SENIOR BOYS TEAM 1 Devon 49; 2 Gloucestershire 91; 3 Avon 111; 4 Somerset 141; 5 Dorset 182. WILTSHIRE: 13 Tom Beer (Kingdown) 26:32; 40 James Hazel (St Laurence) 28:43; 41 John Eamer (St Laurence) 28:51; 50 Daniel Sharp (Corsham) 31:41.

INTER BOYS INDIVIDUAL 1 Conor Robinson (C ) 20:06; 2 Tom Purnell (G) 20:13; 3 Alex Hill (A) 20:26; 4 Simon Nott (John Bentley) 20:49; 5 Aaron Phelps (G) 20:59; 6 Dan Nash (C )21:05.

INTER BOYS TEAM 1 Cornwall 74; 2 Gloucestershire 106; 3 Devon 121; 4 Somerset 133; 5 Avon 134; 6 Wiltshire 164; 7 Dorset 232. WILTSHIRE: 19 Will Christofi (Dauntseys) 21:46; 23 Reuben Mansfield (Wellington) 21:55; 33 Ryan Lavelle (Hardenhuish) 22:27; 41 Nyle Clinton (Greendown) 22:36; 44 Chris Hine (St Laurence) 22:41; 47 Alex Jones (Sheldon) 22:46; 49 Tony Hogan (Devizes) 23:06; 58 Tom Campbell (Braden Forest) 23:57.

JUNIOR BOYS INDIVIDUAL 1 Alex Carter (St Laurence) 14:06; 2 Miles Burton (St Laurence) 14:34; 3 Ben Wilson (Do) 14:44; 4 Oscar Holdsworth (C )14:48; 5 David Weir (D) 14:49; 6 Alex van Dyke (Bishop Wordsworth) 14:52.

JUNIOR BOYS TEAM 1 Wiltshire 71; 2 Dorset 98; 3 Devon 124; 4 Gloucestershire 1216; 5 Somerset 131; 6 Cornwall 151; 7 Avon 266. WILTSHIRE: 14 Joe Grant (Commonweal) 15:04; 16 Connor Wright (Sheldon) 15:08; 32 Lewis Lavelle (Hardenhuish) 15:34; 55 Felix Freeston (Warminister) 16:22; 61 Rob Ellis (Dauntseys) 17:16.

MINOR BOYS INDIVIDUAL 1 Hayden Burton (St Laurence) 10:31; 2 Sam Sommerville (S) 10:39; 3 Jacob Pickering (G) 10:42; 4 Patrick Livingston (D) 10:44; 5 Ben Rodgers (C ) 10:48; 6 Alfie Kilgour (St Laurence) 10:59.

MINOR BOYS TEAM 1 Somerset 77; 2 Devon 81; 3 Wiltshire 138; 4 Cornwall 151; 5 Gloucestershire 181; 6 Dorsey 188; 7 Avon 197. WILTSHIRE: 18 Sam Blake (Wyvern) 11:09; 29 James Cochrane (Bishop Wordsworth) 11:24; 36 Jay Painter (Sheldon) 11:33; 46 George Baskereville (Ridgeway) 11:42; 56 Taylan Ozdenir (Greendown) 11:57; 57 James Angell (Corsham) 12:58; 60 George Beavis (Corsham) 12:06; 62 Aidan Daniel (Corsham) 12:15.

SENIOR GIRLS INDIVIDUAL 1 Louise Warwick (Marlborough College) 18:28; 2 Hannah Alderson (A) 18:44; 3 Catherine Blew (S) 19:09; 4 Emily Bliss (D) 19:20; 5 Alice Carpenter (A) 19:23; 6 Joanna Freeman (Do) 19:25.

SENIOR GIRLS TEAM: 1 Devon 67; 2 Avon 108; 3 Somerset 117; 4 Dorset 124; 5 Gloucestershire 141; 6 Wiltshire 154. WILTSHIRE: 19 Natalie Hunter (Warminster) 21:05; 31 Hannah Simmons (St Laurence) 22:31; 32 Amy Greaves (SWGS) 22:37; 34 Catherine Russ (Devizes) Inter girls individual 1 Annabel Gummow (C ) 14:41; 2 Amber Watson (G) 15:19; 3 Imogen Wolsey (SWGS) 15:39; 4 Aoife Thorogood (A) 15:50; 5 Olivia Sadler (A) 15:51; 6 Amy Sweet (C )15:53.

INTER GIRLS TEAM 1 Wiltshire 83; 2 Cornwall 88; 3 Gloucestershire 102; 4 Devon 103; 5 Avon 180; 6 Dorset 222; 7 Somerset 256 WILTSHIRE: 9 Annie Ingram (Sheldon) 16:09; 14 Amy Rochford (Godolphin) 17:02; 15 Albany Burton (St Laurence) 17:04; 20 Alex Stainthorpe (Sheldon) 17:20; 22 Laura Devereux (Godolphin) 17:22; 29 Emma Journeaux (Malmesbury) 17:37; 34 Sasha Stannah (Godophin) 17:53; 53 Emily Kalik (SWGS) 18:29; 54 Florence Powell (SWGS) 18:33.

JUNIOR GIRLS INDIVIDUAL 1 Loren Bleaken (Hardenhuish)14:38; 2 Emily Smith (S) 14:47; 3 Miranda Sadler (A) 14:51; 4 Lilly Bellamy (Commonweal) 14:52; 5 Isobel Glaisher (Do) 14:556; 6 Alex Mundell (Godophin) 15:04.

JUNIOR GIRLS TEAM: 1 Wiltshire 66; 2 Cornwall 87; 3 Somerset 121; 4 Devon 149; 5 Dorset 156; 6 Avon 188; 7 Gloucestershire 213 WILTSHIRE: 12 Sophie Kalik (SWGS) 15:39; 16 Emma Piatek (Commonweal) 18:57; 27 Georgia Akerman (Commonweal) 16:39; 32 Danielle Scott (Leehurst) 16:47; 50 Emma Clarke (SWGS) 17:28; 51 Harriet Coquhoun (Dauntseys) 17:32.

MINOR GIRLS INDIVIDUAL 1 Francesca Waters (C ) 8:24; 2 Lucy Rochford (Godophin) 8:27; 3 Victoria Weir (D) 8:32; 4 Harriet Lord (C ) 8:41; 5 Lilly Helston (D) 8:49; 6 Clemmie Montgomerie (G) 8:49. Teams: 1 Devon 82; 2 Cornwall 96; 3 Somerset 114; 4 Wiltshire 131; 5 Dorset 135; 6 Gloucestershire 176; 7 Avon 202. WILTSHIRE: 11 Gemma Shephard (Sheldon) 8:56; 21 Anna lever (Leehurst) 9:11; 25 Lottie Colquhoun (Daunteseys) 9:21; 33 Charlie George (Greendown) 9:31; 39 Polly Druce (Hardenhuish) 9:37; 56 Amilia Harbottle (Malmesbury) 9:56.