VALE Royal Athletics Club’s Alfie Bould will represent England later this month as a reward for his performance at the national schools’ cross country championships.

The 14-year-old, a student at Sandbach School, was third overall in the junior boys’ race at Wollaton Park on Saturday, helping Cheshire to take bronze in the team event.

He will now be part of a representative side that takes on their counterparts from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Saturday.

Harper Whitehead, a clubmate of Bould at Vale Royal, was 83rd – fifth-counter for the county.

Josh Betteley was the first Cheshire athlete to complete the senior boys’ race at the Nottingham venue, classifying 22nd, while fellow Sandbach student Arun Dight, who like Betteley is a member at Vale Royal, crossed the line 23rd in the inter boys’ category.

Two mid Cheshire runners – St Nicholas RC High School’s John Humphries and Ben Lee of Grange School – helped Cheshire to seventh in the age group after ranking inside the top 85.

Sophie Smith, of Sir John Deane’s College, was second-counter for Cheshire in the senior girls’ race.

Other mid Cheshire athletes in action included Harry Dexter (Hartford CoE High School) and Oliver Waring (Middlewich) in the inter boys’ race, while Weaverham’s Esme Bridge ran in the inter girls’ category.

Chloe Dooley (Sir John Deane’s College) joined Smith in the senior girls’ contest.