ERMYSTED’S Intermediate boys cross-country team have been crowned as English Schools champions.

They clinched the title with 91 points after an impressive performance at Sevenoaks School in Kent which saw them finish 34 points clear of their closest rivals.

Ermysted’s were second favourites after winning the North East round at Middlesbrough with an incredibly low score, but their runners appeared to be caught out by the cavalry-charge start as none of the runners were inside the top 20 after half a mile.

However, their four athletes were bunched closely together and the determined Harvey Lewis started steadily moving through the field and pulling his team-mates with him.

At the end of the first of two laps Lewis was up to 15th, with Seb Seggar-Stavely, Alex Thompson and Louis Hudson just a few places further back.

The team had the scent of victory and Lewis unleashed a fantastic sprint to finish eighth.

Seggar-Stavely and Thompson had been inseparable for most of the race and the sprint was no exception, but they too had made up places and finished 14th and 15th respectively.

The all-important fourth counter was Hudson in 20th place. He had only just returned following and ankle injury, in 20th place.

Their two non-scorers both ran well to finish in the top half as Joe Carnelley was 64th and Arthur Peel 74th.

Both had contributed to the success with important contributions in the previous rounds.