ONE of the highlights of the district’s schools sporting calendar – the Harrogate Craven Schools Cross Country Championships – took place amid the misty murky conditions at Knaresborough on Saturday.

Not to be confused with the English Schools Cup – which is essentially a team competition in which Ermysted’s and Skipton Girls High School have teams which have progressed all the way through to the National finals in Newquay – last Saturday’s event caters for individuals without a full team.

This year celebrating its 40th anniversary in the present format it gives runners the chance to progress through to the North Yorkshire team via the forthcoming country schools championships and then hopefully on to the English School Championships.

Team honours however, are still awarded at this opening stage and significantly Ermysted’s – winning four titles and Skipton Girls High School, two – collectively won six of the ten contested.

Six individual titles were also won by Craven athletes, the Skipton Girls High School duo of Lucy Fryers and Katie Atkinson won the year 7 and year 8 girls races respectively.

Matthew Kenneth of Ermysted’s won the year 8 boys while Eve Hutchinson and Euan Brennan pulled off double success for Giggleswick in the Year 9 age group.

Year 7 girls: 1 Lucy Fryers, 2 Ruby Firth, 4 Emily Kenneth (all Skipton Girls High), 5 Molly Bratt (Giggleswick), 6 Charlotte Barrett (Upper Wharfedale). First team: Skipton Girls High.

Year 7 boys: 1 Harvey Lewis (Ermysted’s), 2 Rhys Watmough (Settle College), 3 Louis Hudson, 4 Tom Horsley, 9 Alfie Vincent, 10. Sebastian Seggar-Staveley, 11 Arthur Peel (all Ermysted’s). First team: Ermysted’s.

Year 8 girls: 1 Katie Atkinson, 2 Eleanor Root, 3 Emily Jones, 4 Angelina Bairstow(Skipton Girls High), 9 Connie Rockliffe-King, Giggleswick. 11 Ruby Shofield, Skipton Girls High. First team: Skipton Girls High.

Year 8 boys: 1 Matthew Kenneth, 2 Will Thompson, both Ermysted’s, 3 Henry Turnbull, Giggleswick, 6 Jonny Thompson(Ermysted’s, 8 Scott Taylor, Giggleswick, 10 Joel Phillip,11 Laurie Petrucci both Ermysted’s. First team: Ermysted’s.

Year 9 girls: 1 Eve Hutchinson, 10 Millie McAneny (both Giggleswick), First team: Ripon Grammar.

Year 9 boys: 1 Euan Brannan (Giggleswick), 2 Ryan Watmough (Settle College), 3 Joe Hadson (Skipton Academy), 5 Tom Barrett (Settle College), 6 Ben Jackson, 7 Sam Jackson, 8 Patrie Valentine (all Ermysted’s), 10 Tom Humphries (Giggleswick. First team: Ermysted’s.

Intermediate girls: 1 Phoebe Cranford (St John Fisher Harrogate), 6 Samantha Baker-Jones (Giggleswick), 8 Lizzie Joynson (Harrogate Grammar), 10 Hannah Thom (Skipton Girls High), First team: (St Aidan’s, Harrogate).

Intermediate Boys: 1 George Mills (St. Aidan’s), 4 James Lund, 6 Luke Thompson, 10 Ben Archer (all Ermysted’s), 12 Alex Ashby (Upper Whafedale). First team: St Aidan’s.

Senior girls: 1 Charlotte Van Zeist (St Aidan’s), 4 Charlotte Francis (Giggleswick) 7 Elspeth Adamson (Skipton Girls High). First team: St Aidan’s.

Senior boys: 1 Josh Schofield (Queen Ethelburga’s), 4 Robert Thompson, 5 Thomas Fryars, 6 Sam Laycock, 8 Oscar Clements (all Ermysted’s), 10 George Renwick (Giggleswick), First team: Ermysted’s.