MAX Davis has plenty to celebrate this week after finishing runner-up in the U20 men’s age group at the South West Inter Counties Cross Country Championships.

The U20 men’s event was incorporated into the senior men’s race, and the 17-year-old member of Avon Valley Runners belied his years as one of the youngest athletes in the race to finish 11th overall and second junior.

Davis said: “That was such a hard race as it was not only further than I normally race, but the hills were so tough.

“Last year as an U17, I only had to do two laps, but this was three big laps, and while I felt I made a strong start, that second lap felt horrible.

“But I got my second wind on the third and final lap. I just managed to survive and I am very pleased with my 11th overall.”

The experience will certainly stand Davis, who is in Steve Williams’ coaching group at AVR, in good stead when he returns to U20 men’s only action at the South of England and South West Schools’ Championships over the coming month.

Coach Williams said: “Max has great stamina and works hard, but he has to learn to concentrate in the middle of these big races because if you switch off, you can lose lots of ground very quickly.”

Davis was not only Wiltshire’s leading runner, but also the only one to make the top 20 as the next county scorer was Hilperton’s fellow junior Frederick Webb in 24th.

The only other individual medallist from the county was Avon Valley Runners’ Diane Hier.

Hier battled tenaciously to finish 54th overall in the senior women’s race and that was good enough to win gold in the veterans’ O50s age group.

The AVR women also impressed in the team event as they edged out the strong teams from Westbury Harriers and Salisbury to make the podium in third place behind Bristol & West AC and Cornwall AC.

Bethan Francis led the way with a fine run to finish 16th, which represents a massive improvement on her 45th in the same event over the same course 12 months ago.

World Masters’ medallist Jackie Rockliffe was second AVR scorer in 26th, with Rebecca Beck (37th) and Veryan Cranston (49th) completing the scoring on an excellent day for the club’s women.

In the U20 women’s race, Lucy Fitzpatrick was Wiltshire’s top junior in seventh, while in the U17s age group, the Chippenham pair of India Ibbottson and Megan Wright both made the top 20 in 14th and 17th respectively.

In the U17 men’s race, Will Morris, of Lavington Athletics, made the top 20 in 15th and AVR’s Joe Milton was the leading county finisher in the U15s in 21st.

2019 South West Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, Aldon Hill, Yeovil.

Senior men: 1 Owain Jones (B&W) 29:38; 2 Phil Wylie (Chelt, M40) 29:46; 3 Finn Birnie (N&P, U20) 29:53.

M40: 1 Wylie; 2 Mark Jenkin (Bide); 3 Phil Burden (Taun); 6th Simon Gilbert (Devizes RC).

M50: 1 Paul Whear (CAC); 2 Alec Woods (SWVets); 3 Guy Woods (SWVets).

M60: 1 Jonathan Goodland (B&W); 2 Tom Hutchison (TB); 3 Peter Wheddon (Clev).

Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 33; 2 Team Bath AC 175; 3 Cornwall AC 178; 7th Chippenham Harriers 500.

Counties: 1 Avon 34; 2 Devon 105; 3 Cornwall 112; 5th Wiltshire 178.

U20 men: 1 Birnie; 2 Max Davis (AVR) 30:46; 3 Sam Goodchild (CAC) 30:55.

Counties: 1 Cornwall 23; 2 Devon 39; 3 Avon 42.

U17 men: 1 Oliver Smart (TRP) 17:51; 2 Flynn Jennings (Bide) 17:55; 3 Abdi Hasan (WH) 18:05.

Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 56.

Counties: 1 Devon 15; 2 Cornwall 35; 3 Avon 40.

U15 boys: 1 Joe Ponter (Taun) 13:53; 2 Isaac Murray (CAC) 14:01; 3 Thomas Heal (Taun) 14:09.

Teams: 1 Taunton AC 42; 2 Wells 49; 3 Cornwall AC 94.

Counties: 1 Somerset 20; 2 Devon 31; 3 Dorset 71.

U13 boys: 1 William Rabjohns (Poole) 11:29; 2 Charlie Hague (Ex) 11:41; 3 Jacob Webb (CAC) 12:13.

Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 52; 2 Exeter 73; 3 Taunton 99.

Counties: 1 Devon 24; 2 Cornwall 28; 3 Somerset 50.

Senior women: 1 Heidi Tregenza (CAC) 20:03; 2 Grace Copeland (Wimb) 20:26; 3 Elise Thorner (Wells, U20) 20:40.

Teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 62; 2 Cornwall AC 79; 3 Avon Valley Runners 128; 4 Westbury Harriers 158; 8 Clevedon AC 246.

Counties: 1 Devon 52; 2 Avon 80; 3 Cornwall 85; 4 Wiltshire 149.

W45: 1 Cleo Perry (EVH); 2 Julie Dixon (Bide); 3 Katie Hughes (WH).

U17 women: 1 Molly Canham (Ex) 15:16; 2 Chloe Olford (NAbbot) 15:36; 3 Rosie Hamilton-James (WH) 15:38.

Teams: 1 Westbury Harriers 46; 2 Exeter 56; 3 Newquay & Par AC 82.; 4 Swindon Harriers 133.

Counties: 1 Devon 27; 2 Avon 46; 3 Cornwall 52; 5th Wiltshire 77.

U15 girls: 1 Bea Wood (Sals) 13:17; 2 Kiya Dee (HRC) 14:00; 3 Emily Shaw (Wimb) 14:03.

Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 36; 2 Exeter 81; 3 Poole AC 114.

Counties: 1 Cornwall 35; 2 Avon 44; 3 Dorset 44; 5th Wiltshire 76.

U13 girls: 1 Scarlett Livingstone (Ex) 12:30; 2 Iona Farquharson (Torbay) 13:00; 3 Sophie Nicholls (Sals) 13:16.

Teams: 1 Westbury Harriers 72; 2 Newquay & Par 137; 3 Cornwall AC 160.

Counties: 1 Avon 24; 2 Devon 29; 3 Dorset 55.