THERE was tremendous success for south-east Essex schools when the regional qualifying round of the English Schools' Cross Country Cup was staged over Basildon's Gloucester Park course.

The top three teams from the four races qualified for the national final at St Alban's on Saturday, December 1.

Southend High School for Girls won the junior girls' with Rayleigh's FitzWimarc third, while the junior boys saw Eastwood pull off a fantastic victory to make the final stages for the first time.

Fitz were second here with Southend High School for Boys also winning through.

There were no local qualifying schools from the intermediate girls', but seventh-placed Nikki Twine and other members of the winning Coopers Coburn team are Basildon AC runners.

In stark contrast, all three qualifiers from the intermediate boys were local.

Southend Boys won from Westcliff High School for Boys with Fitz third.

Inspirational Thurrock Harrier Jessica Judd won the junior girls' race for years seven and eight.

Her time of 7 mins 54 secs was 34 seconds ahead of runner-up Aimee Barnett (Southend) but her Castle View, Canvey, team were fourth and missed out on qualifying.

The other local success individually came in the intermediate girls' where Southend AC's Camilla Smee won by just a second.

But her St Hilda's, Westcliff, team were down in ninth place.

Eastwood were rightly proud of their junior boys victory.

Said their Scott Mclean: "This is a fantastic result for us and testament to all the hard work that has gone in over the last couple of months."

Local results Junior girls: 1, Jessica Judd (Castle View) 7.54; 2, Aimee Barnett (Southend) 8.28; 5, Danielle Newman (St Helen's) 8.42; 6, Sophie Riches (FitzWimarc) 8.43; 8, Emily Bullis (Eastwood) 9.02; 9, Shannon Wennington (FitzWimarc); 10, Emily Crow (Southenhd) 9.06; 11, Sophie Jarvis (Southend) 9.06; 12, Annie Harding (Southend) 9.06; 13, Steph Hamblin (Eastwood) 9.06; 14, Kirsty Chasmer (FitzWimarc) 9.06; 17, Amelia Knowles (Southend) 9.20; 19, Chloe Thornton (FitzWimarc); 22, Katie Willis (Southend) 9.30; 23, Jodie Perry (Castle View) 9.30; 27, Jessie Lewis (Castle View) 9.44; 28, Taylear Lewis (Castle View) 9.44; 30, Pippa McCullough (St Helen's) 9.52; 33, Jess McGarva (Eastwood) 9.52; 35, Chloe Griffin (Eastwood) 10.07; 39, Zara Heath (FitzWimarc) 10.07; 31, Natali Cousins (FitzWimarc) 10.18; 42, Megan Evans (Castle View) 10.18; 45, Rebekah Tibbs (Eastwood) 10.22; 47, Rebecca Johnson (St Helen's) 10.22; 48, Hannah Correlius (Eastwood) 10.22; 49, Olivia Simmons (St Helen's) 10.22; 50, Esme Stallard (St Helen's) 10.35.

Teams: 1, Southend (35); 3, FitzWimarc (48); 4, Castle View (79); 5, Eastwood (89); 6, St Helen's (125).

Junior boys: 2, Elliott Mannering (FitzWimarc) 10.42; 3, Ben Drake (Eastwood) 10.52; 4, Oliver Lyriakides (Southend) 10.55; 5, Tom Byford (Eastwood) 10.56; 6, Alex Waller (Westcliff) 10.58; 7, Myron Hamilton (FitzWimarc) 11.02; 8, Daniel Gevaux (FitzWimarc) 11.03; 9, Josu Hegarty (Southend) 11.06; 10, George Ness (Eastwood) 11.07; 13, Rob Frith (Eastwood) 11.07; 14, Terome Mensau (Southend) 11.07; 15, Jake McCall (FitzWimarc) 11.15; 17, Alex Masterson (Southend) 11.15; 26, Jon Kerridge (Southend) 11.31; 28, Stephen Ellis (Westcliff) 11.31; 29, Jack Bridge (Eastwood) 11.31; 30, Dominic Locke (Westcliff) 11.38; 32, Dominic Cage (Westcliff) 11.38; 33, Stephen White (FitzWimarc) 11.38; 40, Matthew Wood (Westcliff) 11.58; 41, Oliver Woodhay (Westcliff) 11.58; 46, Aston Kirby (Southend) 12.12.

Team: 1, Eastwood (31); 2, FitzWimarc (32); 3, Southend (44); 4, Westcliff (96).

Intermediate girls: 1, Camilla Smee (St Hilda's) 10.44; 5, Felicity Clarke (FitzWimarc) 12.06; 9, Charlotte Bishop (Billericay) 12.16; 14, Emily Ballard (Billericay) 12.19; 15, Sophie Nicholls (12.41); 16, Abi Plank (Southend) 12.41; 20, Lana Wigmore (Eastwood) 12.51; 22, Morgan Burgess (FitzWimarc); 23, Katie Wilkinson (Southend) 12.51; 24, Ellis Howard (St Hilda's) 12.51; 25, Jordan Jones (FitzWimarc) 12.58; 27, Natalie Woodhouse (Southend) 12.58; 28, Serena Wilmore (Southend) 12.58; 29, Emma Griffiths (FitzWimarc) 12.58; 32, Sarah Belcher (Southend) 13.12; 35, Lauren Pretty (Billericay) 13.32; 36, Rachel Ross (Eastwood) 13.32; 39, Kiera Gaynor (Billericay) 13.32; 40, Rebecca Willis (Billericay) 13.42; 43, Layla Pickering (FitzWimarc) 13.42; 45, Annabelle Baker (FitzWimarc) 13.54; 46, Georgina Panter (Eastwood) 13.54; 48, Rachel Cornelius (Eastwood) 13.54; 50, Ellie Holmes (St Hilda's) 14.29; 52, Lucy Forbes (St Hilda's) 14.29; 53, Anna Weingarten (St Hilda's) 14.29; 54, Hollie Downs (St Hilda's) 14.29; 55, Mollie Lawrence (Eastwood) 14.35.

Team: 4, Southend (81); 5, FitzWimarc (81); 7, Billericay (97); 9, St Hilda's (127); 10, Eastwood (150).

Intermediate boys: 2, A Short (Southend) 14.24; 3, Thomas Lamla (Westcliff) 14.27; 6, U Grose (Southend) 14.41; 7, J Staines (Southend) 14.46; 9, J Padgett (Southend) 14.57; 10, C Irwin (Southend) 14.59; 12, Matthew Garner (Westcliff) 14.59; 14, James Norman (FitzWimarc) 14.59; 15, Will Cooper (FitzWimarc) 15.04; 16, Luke Nicholls (Westcliff) 15.04; 19, Josh Mann (FitzWimarc); 20, J Pennycock (Southend) 15.15; 21, Niall Purcell (Westcliff) 15.15; 22, Ben Austin (FitzWimarc) 15.15; 23, Andrew Law (Billericay); 25, Ben Hamlin (Eastwood) 15.36; 26, Alex Tydesley (Billericay) 15.36; 29, Sam Brown (Eastwood) 15.36; 32, Michael Etherton (Eastwood) 15.54; 34, Mason Creasey (Eastwood); 35, Ryan Wennington (FitzWimarc) 16.09; 36, Lewis Neadon (Westcliff); 38, Liam Gibbs (Eastwood) 16.09; 39, Jack Lissamor (Eastwood) 16.09; 45, Kieran Shand (Billericay) 16.41; 57, Daniel Allix (Billericay) 17.52; 60, Andrew Thorpe (Billericay) 18.51; 62, Kieran Page (Billericay) 18.51.

Teams: 1, Southend (24); 2, Westcliff (52); 3, FitzWimarc (70); 11, Billericay (151).