VALE Royal athletes have been hitting the high notes, none more so than Holly Weedall.

The 18-year-old from Northwich was an impressive winner on her first full international as a junior athlete.

She was first for England Under 20s in the Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville, Spain.

The former Weaverham High School pupil, who is now a student at the University of Birmingham, crossed the line nine seconds clear of her nearest rival, Spain’s Maria Viciosa Villa.

Weedall stormed away from the start, taking teammate Pippa Roessler and the Spaniard with her on bone dry trails.

Roessler tried hard to pass but eventually she was broken on the final lap, leaving Weedall to win comfortably in 15mins 11secs.

Also during November, Stuart Doyle and Sarah Murphy represented England at the British and Irish Masters XC International and clubmates contested the English National Cross Country Relay Championships and the British Masters Open Road Relay Championships.

Further highlights include Aaron Doyle comfortably winning the senior men’s race, ahead of 550 others, in the second round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League, while Max Roberts and Tessa McCormick celebrated victories.

Doyle was one of 28 Vale Royal runners who tackled the Manchester League event at a sodden Wythenshawe Park.

After some early attention from Warrington's Cameron Field on the first lap, Doyle pulled away over the remaining two laps to win by over 200m.

Results: George Wright U11 Boys 33rd 12:38, Orla Coates U11 Girls 22nd 12:56, Alexander Kruithof U13B 11th 13:36, Lily Coates U13G 20th 15:16, James Reynolds U13B 53rd 15:39, Billy Spann U13B 55th 15:52, Eleanor Heverin U13G 41st 16:36, Ethan Price U15M 28th 17:53, Noah Simpson U15M 34th 18:17, Samuel Conkie U15M 35th 18:18, Tom Jenkins U15M 45th 18:48.

Rhys Bowden U17M 19th 23:41, Helen Smith SW 34th 36:12 2nd VF50, Anna Begbie SW 42nd 37:01 5th VF40, Paula Manley SW 287th 49:30, Carole Williams SW 379th 64:41 4th VF70, Aaron Doyle SM 1st 36:03, Jacob Brown SM 16th 37:45, Sam Whitehead SM 28th 38:38, Mark Crabtree SM 64th 40:20 7th VM45, Rob Olliver SM 192nd 45:34, Colin Price SM 271st 48:32, Ian Simpson SM 294th 49:12, Gareth Williams SM 305th 49:34, Tony Archer SM 404th 53:36 2nd VM65, John Moulds SM 506th 60:11, Richard Pettitt SM 548th 79:34.

Max Roberts won the under 11s boys race in the third round of the North Staffordshire Cross Country League at Park Hall in Weston Coyney.

Another fine performance came from Ella Drake as she finished third in the under 11s girls race.

Results: U11B: Max Roberts 1st 8:46, George Wright 6th 9:58. U11G: Ella Drake 3rd 8:10, Orla Coates 10th 9:12, Eva Proudlove 22nd 10:04, Annabel Tickell 23rd 10:11, Ivy Fraser 28th 10:29.

U15M: Ethan Price 11th 10:22 Tessa McCormick’s success came in the Wolverton five-mile road race around Willen Lake in Milton Keynes.

Seven of the club’s of elder athletes took on the British Masters Open Road Relay Championships at Mallory Park near Leicester.

In the men's aged 45-50 event, Vale Royal’s team of four, racing 5K each, placed fourth.

Results: Veteran men’s 45-50 team, 4th: Mark Crabtree 15:58, Stuart Doyle 16:47, Robert Roe 18:00, Graham Miles 18:20; veteran men’s 55-60 team, 7th: Colin Price 19:14, Gareth Williams 18:22, Ian Simpson 19:40.

Meanwhile, it was in Glasgow where Stuart Doyle and Sarah Murphy represented England at the British and Irish Masters XC International.

Murphy was eighth VF45 in a race for veterans aged between 35 and 64, while Doyle was seventh VM50 in his race for veterans aged 50 to 64.

Several Vale Royal teams suffered the persistent rain and generally awful conditions for the English National XC Relay Championships in Mansfield.

Results: Junior men (3 x 3K) VRAC "A" 18th 28:08.75: Isaac Leydon 9:36.65 51st, William Ashfield 9:18.60 22nd, Patrick Griffith 9:13.50 18th.

Junior Men (3 x 3K) VRAC "B" 49th 30:57.50: Elliot Davies-Hayes 9:49.30 56th, Jack O'Reilly 10:25.15 52nd, Sam Thomson 10:43.50 49th.

U17M (3 x 3k) VRAC "A" 22nd 29:50.15: Harry Parker-McLain 10:02.70 38th, Thomas Taylor 10:10.35 32nd, Robbie Price 9:37.10 22nd.

U17M (3 x 3k) VRAC "B" 44th 31:28.35: Rhys Bowden 10:20.45 55th, Thomas Corwood 10:18.00 43rd, Theo Wassall 10:49.90 44th.

U15W (3 x 2k) VRAC "A" Incomplete Team: Nancy Carrington 8:52.55 62nd.

SW (3 x 3k) VRAC "A" 49th 38:59.60: Hollie Carrington 12:26.40 62nd, Anna Begbie 13:27.30 58th, Helen Smith 13:05.90 49th.

SM (4 x 5k) VRAC "A" 38th 68:31.70: Jacob Brown 17:00.50 72nd, Sam Stephens 18:03.65 66th, Arun Dight 16:44.95 51st, Aaron Doyle 16:42.60 38th SM (4 x 5k) VRAC "B" Incomplete Team: James Griffiths 18:07.75 106th, Olly Williams 18:13.65 90th, Stuart Doyle 18:37.30 83rd.

Elsewhere in November, Nathan Williams ran Vale Royal AC's fifth fastest 10 miler of all-time at the Wimborne 10, clocking a personal best 53:40.

Lee Carrington and Nick Haywood battled the wind and rain that confronted runners at the Conwy Half Marathon.

Carrington placed 49th in 1:27.22, while Haywood was 303rd in 1:41:34.