AMELIA Pettitt made her debut in an England vest during Saturday’s Antrim Cross Country International.

The Vale Royal Athletics Club runner, selected as a reward for a bronze medal-winning performance at last month’s national championships, finished 11th in the junior women’s race on a fast, challenging course in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile Cheshire included a Vale Royal Athletics Club member in each of its age group teams for Saturday’s English Schools’ Cross Country Championships in Blackburn.

Sam Whitehead (Congleton) and Jacob Brown (Sandbach) were among the first 50 to finish the senior boys’ race at Witton Country Park, where Grange School’s Jonathan Owen was fourth counter.

Middlewich High School’s Oliver Waring and Alex Doyle classified inside the top 100 in the junior boys’ race, while Josh Betteley (Sandbach) was second counter for the inter boys in 63rd.

Vale Royal quintet Amy Hinchly (Tarporley), Chloe Broad (Sandbach), Lucy Scott (Sir John Deane’s College), Clara Pettitt (Sandbach) and Lucy Burch (South Cheshire College) contested the senior girls’ race.