NESTLE Rowntree AC's Under 17 women's team finished 14th out of 40 teams in the National Cross Country Relays at Mansfield.

Nina Griffiths' first leg of 9 minutes 51 seconds earned 14th place. Ruth Tinsley clocked 10-31 and Aimee Collette 10-12.

A last leg deficit of 37 seconds to West Yorkshire rivals Keighley and Craven was just too much to make up as Collette finished just seven seconds adrift at the finish.

The race was won by Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers with Bedford County second and Medway and Maidstone third.

Knavesmire Harriers' women's team gave a much improved performance at the Acklam fixture of the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cross Country League.

The race was won by Scarborough's Rowan Smith, covering the three-mile circuit in 15 minutes 56 seconds.

It was a rare defeat for Middlesbrough AC's Marie Stansmore but she still helped her club to win the team race.

Knavesmire's Lisa Guscott-Trout (8th), Rebecca Weeks (14th), Fiona Strange (27th) and Jane Shelmerdine (28th and 4th veterans 35) scored a tally of 77 points to give them second place on the day, which takes them to joint second place with Loftus AC in the league standings.

Laura Ross finished 34th and was third in the Under 20s section. Patricia Hawkins (45th) and Andrea Calladine (52nd) made their cross country debuts for the club.

Knavesmire Men's team will find it difficult to retain the championship title after only managing fourth place in the men's Five Mile race.

With several runners from last year's squad out due to long term injuries, it was veteran runner Neil Strange (18th) who led the club home, with Dave Chippett (21st), Andy Bissell (22nd) and Andy Booth (54th) completing the six-man scoring team with a tally of 182 points.

Their score was bettered by Hartlepool Burn Road (136), and Nestl Rowntree (126). Richmond and Zetland AC pulled off the shock of the day by taking the team victory by scoring just 125. This leaves Knavesmire in third place in the league behind a very strong Nestl Rowntree squad and perennial challengers Hartlepool.

Other Knavesmire finishers: Brian Wakeley (78th), Mike McGrath (93rd), Richard Lowson (147th), Mark Sullivan (162nd), Richard Gott (166th), and Peter Schofield (169th).

Updated: 11:56 Wednesday, November 14, 2001