THE recent squally weather guaranteed that Blackburn's Witton Park would be muddy underfoot for competitors in the Lancashire Schools Cross Country Championships - and appropriately it was a fell running specialist who dominated the opening race.

Chorley Harrier Katie Ingram led the senior girls from gun to tape only two days after flying back from a week of warm weather training in Lanzarote.

Ingram has endured a frustrating last few months with the cancellation of last year's English Fell Championship depriving her of the chance of defending her under-16 title.

She has also suffered a succession of niggling injuries, but is now fully fit again and looking forward to the summer.

Her priority this season is to win the English Under-18 Fell Championship to add to her titles at under-16 and under-14 levels.

Laura Finucane is another who has wintered well.

The English Schools 800m bronze medallist has emerged taller and stronger, and nobody could match her in the intermediate girls race as she ran away from the opposition.

Only Vicky Snape from Chorley went with the high stepping Burnley athlete in the early stages but she faded after giving her all allowing Blackburn pair Rachael Holt and Rachael Thompson to take the medal positions.

Chris Hart, of Burnley, was offered a place in the English Schools Championship without having to run after failing to shake off the cold which forced him to miss last week's Northern.

But he insisted in competing, and his gutsy effort earned him the silver medal in the intermediate class behind Richard Newton of Preston.

Danielle Walker was also laid low with a bug and didn't make it to the start of the junior girls race, but there was still a medal for Burnley as Emma Graham struck bronze.

It is no surprise to be reporting another victory for Hyndburn's Callum Fitzpatrick, but his win in the junior boys event was one of his best as he is still in the first year of his age group.

He ran a well judged race maintaining his form as the opposition fell away one by one, and was still full of beans at the finish.

The most exciting race of the day involved the youngest (Year 7) children.

As a taster for these under-12s their course didn't take them up the notorious saucer, and the flatter surface kept the pack bunched.

Pendle's Phillip Berry launched a big sprint finish a long way out to defeat long time leader Nathan Bibby, while Samantha Murray of Hyndburn was the winning girl.

RESULTS - Girls

Seniors 3.7km: 1 Katie Ingram (Preston) 15:50; 9 Charlotte Smith (Blackburn) 20:52; 10 Alison Beesley (Blackburn) 21:14 Team: 1 Lancaster; 2 Blackburn

Intermediates 3.7km: 1 Laura Finucane (Burnley) 15:39; 2 Rachael Holt (Blackburn) 16:02; 3 Rachael Thompson (Blackburn) 16:19; 4 Vicky Snape (Chorley) 16:23; 9 Charlotte Bickerstaffe (Pendle) 17:36, 10 Candy Hamilton (Blackburn) 17:43; 13 Rachel Curran (Rossendale) 18:04; 14 Nicola Derosia (Hyndburn) 18:07 Team: 1 Lancaster; 2 Blackburn

Juniors 3km: 1 Danielle McCann (Preston) 14:08; 3 Emma Graham (Burnley) 14:16; 6 Carley Thompson (Blackburn) 14:25; 7 Alexis Walker (Burnley) 14:28; 8 Kelly Ditchfield (Chorley) 14:31; 9 Leigh-Anne Whalley (Pendle) 14:35; 11 Megan Phillip (Hyndburn) 14:47; 12 Carla Burns (Pendle) 14:49; 14 Kelly Clegg (Blackburn) 15:10; 15 Clare Kane (Blackburn) 15:13 Team: 1 Lancaster; 2 Blackburn; 3 Chorley Year 7: 1 Samantha Murray (Hyndburn) 11:58; 2 Alison Leonard (Chorley) 12:17; 3 Jade Hartley (Burnley) 12:40; 8 Natalie Honey (Hyndburn) 13:18; Team: 1 Lancaster

Boys

Seniors 7km: 1 Chris Watson (West Lancs) 23:59; 3 Nathan Lawton (Preston) 25:09; 5 Andy Jones (Blackburn) 25:42; 6 Lee Leishman (Blackburn) 26:08; 7 Peter Dickenson (South Ribble) 27:01; 8 Hishashi Arakawa (Hyndburn) 27:29; 9 Hagen Sinapuis 27:51; 10 Thomas Cornthwaite (Hyndburn) 28:08 Team: 1 West Lancs; 2 Blackburn; 3 Hyndburn

Intermediates 5km: 1 Richard Newton (Blackpool) 20:43; 2 Chris Hart (Pendle) 21:03; 6 Marc Hartley 21:53; 10 Matt Wood (Blackburn) 22:26; 15 J Linley (Hyndburn) 23:09 Team: 1 Lancaster, 2 Hyndburn

Juniors 3.7km: 1 Callum Fitzpatrick (Hyndburn) 14:04; 4 Daniel McLean (Blackburn) 14:38; 9 Phillip Hayton (Burnley) 15:16; 10 Adam Smith (Blackburn) 15:19; 11 Scott Gray (Rossendale) 15:24; 14 John Fletcher (Chorley) 15:32 Team: 1 West Lancs; 3 Hyndburn Year 7: 1 Phillip Berry (Pendle) 10:59; 6 Joe Roberts (Hyndburn) 11:31; 8 Adam Hurtley (Blackburn) 11:35; 9 John Kelly (Burnley) 11:38; 11 Liam Holden (Blackburn) 11:43; 12 Steven Reynolds (Burnley) 11:45; 15 Daniel Hoyle (Rossendale) 11:51 Team: 1 Blackburn, 2 Burnley.