NEW kid on the block Blythe Fourie was the star of the show at a freezing Worden Park in Saturday’s Lancashire Schools Cross Country Championships.

The turnout in Leyland was slightly down on last year’s competition, but that was down to the terrible wintry conditions including icy rain and stiff winds.

Despite the rock hard running surface, Hyndburn schools youngster Fourie marched to a emphatic victory in the opening race of the championships, the year seven girls’ event.

She won by a huge gap of 27 seconds over Sarah Longshaw of Rossendale schools, with Shaunna Williamson in third place.

Blackburn schools took the team prize ahead of second-placed Chorley.

Hyndburn’s Alex Wood finished third in the year seven boys’ race.

Clitheroe Grammar School duo Elizabeth Greenwood and Rhiannon Wickham enjoyed a one-two for Hyndburn schools in the junior girls’ event.

Burnley schools picked up the team award in the junior boys’ section, with Hyndburn schools second.

Westholme student Katie Buckley, representing Blackburn schools, took second in the Inter Girls category, with Amelia Wood of Clitheroe Grammar School in third, as Hynburn schools took second in the team prize.

Joe Oldfield was our best local finisher in the Inter Boys, coming home seventh, as he helped the Blackburn schools team finish second.

Westholme’s Becky Taylor and St Wilfrid’s student Helena Leathley were second and third for Blackburn schools in the senior girls, while Chorley AC ace Luke Betts came second for South Ribble schools in the senior boys.

The top eight finishers in the junior, inter and senior categories are automatically selected to represent Lancashire in the English Schools Cross Country Championships, to be held in Ilton, Somerset, on March 17.