ATHLETICS stars of the future were on show at Netherdale last week for the Borders Schools Cross Country Championships.

Having been rescheduled from the previous week due to weather and ground conditions, the Championships were blessed with mild weather and good running conditions at Netherdale on Thursday last week.

Unfortunately the rescheduling of the event meant a number of schools were unable to participate.

Although overall numbers were down, the quality of the racing was maintained with some excellent athletic performances from seasoned campaigners and newcomers alike.

There was also admirable determination on show from those whose personal target was just to complete.

The morning’s primary school races over two kilometres saw individual title wins for Matty Fleming from Broomlands, Kirsty Rankine of Melrose, Kieran Fulton from Kingsland and Caitlin Harkness also from Kingsland.

The P7 Boys race provided the most thrilling of finishes to entertain the big crowd congregated along the finishing straight.

Kingsland’s Shaun Pyman was determinedly holding on to a narrow advantage ahead of Earlston’s Ross Christie approaching the final turn, with Shaun’s team-mate Kieran Fulton tucked in behind.

And it was Fulton who produced the best kick to out-sprint his rivals to the line, with Pyman just holding off Christie for the silver.

Kingsland took three of the four team races and were clear winners of the Primary Schools Shield for the overall champions.

The afternoon’s secondary school races kicked off with both Ross Wolfenden of Peebles and Isla Paterson of Galashiels picking up their third successive individual titles in the S1 races - both having won their respective P6 and P7 titles the previous two years.

Paterson produced the most impressive individual run of the day. Racing alongside the boys, she was beaten home only by the boys winner, an achievement even more amazing given that she had two boys Scottish indoor 800 metres medallists behind her.

Gala Academy's Gregor Collins clinched his fifth successive tile in the S3 Boys race.

Lewis Tharme (Earlston) followed in his big brother’s footsteps by claiming the Open Boys title, holding off the fast finishing Fraser Clyne (Hawick).

And the Open Girls race saw the day’s only clean sweep of the medals, by Peebles, with Charlotte Clare taking the individual gold.

Peebles and Earlston had their usual tussle in the team races, two of which were one-point battles, but it was Peebles who prevailed as overall champions across the S1 to S3 races to win back the Secondary Schools Shield which had been taken off their hands by Earlston last year.

P6 Boys: 1. M Fleming (Broomlands) 8.09; 2. A Dalgleish (St Boswells) 8.20; 3. C Fitzgerald (Kingsland) 8.22.

TEAM: 1. Kingsland 21; 2. Broomlands 52; 3. St Boswells 57.

P6 Girls: 1. K Rankine (Melrose) 8.57; 2. K Swan (Melrose) 9.09; 3. L Jackson (Priorsford) 9.15

TEAM: 1. Melrose 12; 2. Priorsford 24; 3. Kingsland 63.

P7 Boys: 1. K Fulton (Kingsland) 7.46; 2. S Pyman (7.47); 3. R Christie (Earlston) 7.48.

TEAM: 1. Kingsland 13; 2. Melrose 32; 3. Earlston 40.

P7 Girls: 1. C Harkness (Kingsland) 8.27; 2. E Lee (Kingsland) 8.37; 3. E Gray (Glendinning) 8.43.

TEAM: 1. Kingsland 10; 2. Lauder 40; 3. Knowepark 44.

PRIMARY TEAMS OVERALL: 1. Kingsland 107; 2. Melrose 179; 3. Earlston 274

S1 Boys: 1. R Wolfenden (Peebles) 7.33; 2. Fionn Hollingsbee (Peebles) 7.45; 3. Z Field (Berwickshire) 7.49

TEAM: 1. Peebles 7; 2. Berwickshire 28; 3. Galashiels 37.

S1 Girls: 1. I Paterson (Galashiels) 7.42; 2. A Hughes (Hawick) 8.33; 3. K Bissett (Peebles) 9.13

TEAM: 1. Peebles 13; 2. Earlston 24; Jedburgh 36.

S2 Boys: 1. E Christie (Earlston) 11.06; 2. C Rankine (Earlston)11.24; 3. J Clare (Peebles) 11.44

TEAM: 1. Earlston 9; 2. Peebles 15; 3. Galashiels 29.

S2 Girls: 1. A Fairclough (Earlston)12.28; C McGorum-Begara (Peebles)13.28; 3. H Hobbs (Peebles) 13.45

TEAM: 1. Peebles 9; 2. Earlston 17; 3. Berwickshire 32.

S3 Boys: 1. G Collins (Galashiels) 10.51; 2. I Houston (Galashiels)11.39; 3. A Pilchor (Berwickshire) 12.09

TEAM: 1. Galashiels 10; 2. Peebles 25; 3. Earlston 32.

S3 Girls: 1. M Ballantyne (Hawick) 12.59; 2. K Grieve (Peebles) 13.39; 3. K McRea (Earlston) 14.05

TEAM: 1. Earlston 16; Peebles 17; Berwickshire 31.

Open Boys: 1. L Tharme (Earlston) 14.44; 2. F Clyne (Hawick)14.59; 3. E Hood (Peebles) 15.02

TEAM: 1. Peebles 15; 2. Earlston 16.

Open Girls: 1. C Clare (Peebles) 11.59; 2. B Hobbs (Peebles) 12.18; 3. H Little (Peebles) 12.51.

TEAM: 1. Peebles 6. 2. Earlston 17.

SECONDARY TEAMS OVERALL: 1. Peebles 86; 2. Earlston 156; 3. Galashiels 260.