A BLISTERING performance by Leven Valley’s Georgia Bell saw her breeze to victory in the U13 girls’ race in the third Mid Lancs cross country race of the season at Liverpool’s Sefton Park.

She won the race by a comfortable 21 second margin from the Chorley pairing of Libby Rickerby and Amelie Smethurst who both clocked a time of 12-23.

But she was not the only Leven Valley athlete to turn in an outstanding performance.

Team mate Jessica Bailey (11-37) placed a creditable second in the U15 girls’ race behind Chorley’s Gabrielle Hodson (11-18).

Her team mate Olesia Winder (11-56) was also in the mix at the front end and had to settle for fourth place.

The opening event of the day - the U11 girls’ race - was won by Liverpool Harrier Bailey Hughes (7-53) who headed Lancaster & Morecambe’s Anna Nicholson (8-01) to the line.

The best placed South Lakeland athlete was Anna Cobley (8-28), of Kendal-Helm.

She came home in seventh, a position that was also occupied by her team mate Toby Acland (7-38) in the boys’ U11 event which was won by Blackburn’s Samuel Aspey (7-17).

Alfie Tipping (7-50), also of Kendal-Helm, is emerging as a promising prospect and was in the thick of the racing action in 13th.

Kendal-Helm’s Louis Bigland (11-39) and Jack Barker (11-51) finished eighth and tenth respectively in the U13 boys’ race which was won by Alfie Lamb, of Border Harriers, in 11-20.

James Bowen (10-40), of Kendal-Helm, just missed out on a top three place in the U15 boys’ race and crossed the line in fifth just 20 seconds adrift of race winner Liam McCay of Liverpool Harriers.

Kendal-Helm’s Lillian Lewis (17-38) ran hard in the U17 women’s race and was rewarded with a fourth place finish, 36 seconds behind race winner Phoebe Hayashi of Lancaster & Morecambe.

Georgia Heath (18-17) came home in a creditable eighth place.

In the U17 men’s race Sedbergh’s Fraser Sproul (19-02), of Kendal AC, was third behind Lancaster & Morecambe’s Matthew Knowles (18-39) and Blackburn’s Matthew Ramsden (18-48).

Kendal’s Sally Ford (36-52) was the first South Lakeland runner home in the senior women’s race, which was won by Blackburn’s Jessica Judd (28-22).

Ford finished in 15th position while Glaxo Hoad Hill’s Andrew Dorrian (37-45) had that honour in the men’s race finishing 29th.

The race was won by Blackburn’s Robert Warner (32-21).

This Saturday sees the Kirkby Moor race take place.

The event starts at Beckside Village Hall, Kirkby-in-Furness at 11am.

The race covers a distance of 10.5K and involves a climb of 490m.

Entry on the day is £5.

Kendal Winter League races are set to start on Sunday, January 5, and will take place on most weekends up to the end of March.

A full fixture list is to be published shortly.