ERMYSTED'S Grammar School took the plaudits at the Harrogate-Craven Schools Cross-Country Championships last Saturday, winning a remarkable four out of five team titles at Skipton's Aireville Park.

But for a handful of points, the Skipton school would have clinched a grand slam as St Aidan's, Harrogate, just pipped them in the year eight category.

In what is one of the highlight's of the local secondary school sporting calender, over 400 athletes representing 20 schools and colleges took part in the event.

For the front-runners in the older age groups, the event also represented the first qualifying stage of the English School Championships.

While Ermysted's took star billing in the team event, Ingleton Middle's Sam Hutchinson was the star of the show individually. The Yorkshire 800m champion's runaway victory in the year eight boys event was achieved in a faster time than his winning counterpart in the year nine boys over the same course.

Two Ermysted's pupils clinched individual titles. England junior fell racing champion James Mountain won the year nine boys and James Kelly won the intermediate (years 10 and 11) boys - his first distance race win.

Craven's other champion was Giggleswick's Claire Lilley, who won the year nine girls race.

Catteral Hall, Upper Wharfedale, Skipton Girls High, Settle College and Giggleswick all gained team runners-up spots, with the Skipton Girls High year seven team being just a point behind Ripon Grammar.

With the exception of year eight and year nine athletes - from which a combined junior age group is selected - the first 12 in each event are in line to represent Harrogate-Craven in the North Yorkshire finals on January 22 at Tadcaster.

From there, the North Yorkshire teams at junior, intermediate and senior level will be selected for the English Schools Finals at Norwich.