Chris Berntsen, Sarah Holliday, Alex Toomey and Phill Berntsen

Andover AC's Phill Berntsen took third at the UK Cross Challenge, which incorporates the World Championship qualifying race, at the weekend.

The event was the final showcase for the main contenders for GB selection, with six places up for grabs in the Junior Men's and Women's races for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, in Edinburgh at the end of this month.

The championships, televised live by Sky Sports, were in the stunning grounds of Wollaton Park, Nottingham. More than 40 counties and Scottish, Welsh and Irish regions had representative teams, with up to eight representatives in each race.

Phill was competing for Hampshire in the Junior men's 8k race which involved three laps of a dry and very fast course. He started in the leading pack and when the race favourite Dave Forester (Merseyside) hit the front with about 5k to go Phill and Mitch Goose (Suffolk) went with him. However, at the halfway point Phill's race plans hit a hurdle as he experienced extreme stomach cramps causing him to fall back to seventh.

He worked his socks off to make his way back, ending strongly with an exhilarating three-way sprint finish. He eventually finished in the bronze position, 12 seconds behind the winner Forester. Phill, Forester and Horsefield attained automatic GB selection.

Three other Andover AC athletes were competing for their counties, Sarah Holliday and Chris Berntsen (Hampshire) and Alex Toomey (Wiltshire). Hermione Toomey, (Alex's sister) was also selected but was unfortunately unable to compete due to illness. Both Chris and Alex competed in the U15 boy's 4.5k race with nearly 300 competitors. Chris started from the pen as sixth Hampshire man out and he coped with the course well, improving on his Nationals performance in 55th place in 16:05 and was third Hampshire vest back. The Hampshire team finished sixth.

Alex is bottom age and also started at the back of the Wiltshire pen. He too performed well, managing to pass all but one of his team mates, eventually finishing in 240th place in 18:00.

Junior Sarah Holliday was part of a very strong Hampshire team that easily won team gold. Sarah was 39th in 25:23, her best ever finish for this race. She was fifth Hampshire vest back, just missing out on team gold as it was the first four to count.

Andover AC is sponsored by CK Building Contractors.

Two of Andover's outstanding young stars headed to Portsmouth for the County Sportshall Championships.

Lauren Marlow and Ellora Milsom both had busy days, with Lauren competing in three events and Ellora four across track and field. The pressure for these young athletes is very concentrated in what is renowned as one of the nosiest environments in sport.

Lauren continued the fine tradition that Andover AC has in county championships winning gold in the standing long jump with a new personal best, and Ellora just missed out on golds in the speed bounce and six-lap endurance race but should be very proud of two excellent silver medals.

8:16am Thursday 20th March 2008

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