NESTL Rowntree senior men's team produced a battling performance to finish a commendable sixth place in the recent Nike-sponsored Yorkshire Cross-country Championships.

Over the 12-kilometre course, and despite the absence of several of their leading runners, outstanding performances by Andy Hilton (33rd) and 19-year-old Sandy Cowan (42nd) led the team home.

These were backed up by Andy Burt (43rd), Steve Simpson (52nd), Bob Duncan (63rd) and Mike Raynes (72nd) in a high-quality field of 169, where Bingley took team honours led by race winner Chris Cariss.

Other Nestl finishers were Jerry Barnes (74th), Martin Kirby (77th) and Paul Richardson (163rd).

Last weekend saw the return of league fixtures and, while most of the juniors were representing York schools against the East Riding at Beverley, there were still some notable performances to report.

The West Yorkshire League fixture at Keighley saw Helen Garnham achieve fourth place in the senior women's race with Nina Griffiths finishing second in the Under-20 women, and 12th place overall.

In the North Yorkshire/South Durham League fixture at Middlesbrough some 24 hours later, the U15 girls' team of Joanna Feasby, Hannah Punnett, Sophie Cuthbertson and Rachel Hemblade came ninth, 14th, 19th and 22nd respectively.

The senior women's event saw Aimee Collett put in another improved performance to finish seventh overall and first Under-20 just beating Joanna Jackson of Middlesbrough and Cleveland into second place. Louisa Banfield, returning after injury, finished 16th, while Cath Ashton and Cath Fleming finished 20th and 23rd respectively in a field of 55 runners.

The senior men, in a field of 140, again produced excellent performances to win the team event.

Another consistent run by Andy Huton saw him finish sixth, closely followed by Steve Simpson and Tim Lawes in tenth and 11th positions. There followed a steady procession of finishes closing out the opposition and ensuring the team win with Mike Raynes 17th, Steve Ratcliffe 19th, Martin Kirby 20th, Bob Duncan 24th, Jerry Barnes 27th, Andy Normandale 32nd, Paul Lewis 63rd and Mike Hetherton 88th.

This weekend many of the juniors will be running in the North Yorkshire Schools' championships at Catterick, while the next senior event is the North of England Championships at Heaton Park, Manchester on Saturday, January 25.

Updated: 09:44 Thursday, January 16, 2003