JESSICA Judd will lead the Great Britain under-20 women's team at the European Cross-Country Championships in Bulgaria in two weeks time.

The 19-year-old from Canvey booked her spot on the GB team in style by winning the trial race in Liverpool on Saturday.

Judd bided her time before attacking in the closing stages and winning the 4.4km race by more than 10 seconds in 14m 45s.

Chelmsford AC's Judd, who is currently studying at Loughborough University, said: "That was really good – my training has been going really well and I really wanted a good run. I thought I might have gone a bit too early but my legs held on.”

This will be Judd's second European Cross-Country Championships after she made her debut in the event in a snowy Budapest in 2012.

She won a team gold medal that year, finishing 13th individually, but she missed out on last year's event due to injury.

This will be the final year the Commonwealth Games and European Championships 800m finalist is eligible for the under-20 age group before stepping up into the seniors.

She added: "The agony of missing out last year through injury made me want to be in the team even more this year.”

For the first time in a major race, Judd had her sister, Jodie, lining up alongside her on the startline in Liverpool as the under-20 and under-17s race was run as one.

Jodie ran well too, finishing the 17th under-17 finisher (48th overall) despite being one of the youngest in the age group.

Southend AC's Adam Hickey faces a nervous 24 hours to see whether he will also be on the plane to the European Championships in Samkov.

He finished eighth in the senior men's race but in a complicated selection process, still has a chance of reaching his second European Championships in succession.

Hickey was actually the fifth senior man to finish the race as three under-23 athletes finished ahead of him. They will all most likely race in the under-23 age group in Bulgaria, leaving the door open potentially for Hickey with each age group taking six runners to the event.

Selectors will make a final decision on Monday.

Hickey's training partner Gemma Kersey (Basildon AC) was the 10th under-23 athlete home in the senior women's race,