SOUTH Lakeland school pupils got to grips with the muddy conditions to turn in some classy performances in the annual county cross country trials.

Around 450 young athletes from all over Cumbria converged on Sedbergh School for the event around a testing course made tougher by the strength-sapping underfoot conditions.

The students had been selected to compete in the event after finishing in the top 16 in the previous district trials.

Youngsters from South Lakeland performed outstandingly against the other competitors from Eden, Furness, Copeland, Carlisle and Allerdale.

They won six of the eight team events and came second in the other two races.

Individual success came with 63 runners from South Lakeland being selected to represent Cumbria, out of 128, in the Inter Counties Schools' cross county championships to be held in February.

Results: Senior Boys (year 12&13): 1 Joe Bird, South Lakes (Sedbergh School); 2 Elliot Mattier, Eden; 3 Chris Richards, South Lakes (Kirkbie Kendal School). Senior Girls (year 12&13): 1 Hannah Russell, South Lakes (Queen Katherine School, Kendal); 2 Pheobe Whattoff, South Lakes (Sedbergh School); 3 Heidi Murray, South Lakes (Queen Katherine School). Intermediate boys (years 10&11): 1 Joseph Dugdale, Copeland; 2 Joe Edmonson, South Lakes (John Ruskin School, Coniston); 3 Alistair Thomas, Allerdale. Intermediate girls: 1 Scarlett Dale, South Lakes (Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale); 2 Emma Whitaker, South Lakes (Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale); 3 Esme Davies, Eden. Junior Boys (year 8&9): 1 Sam Almond, Eden; 2 James Salt, Eden; 3 Ben Edmonson, South Lakes (John Ruskin School, Coniston). Junior Girls (year 8&9): 1 Olivia Mason, Allerdale; 2 Chloe Rylance, South Lakes (Dallam School, Milnthorpe); 3 Stephanie Driscoll, South Lakes (Queen Katherine School, Kendal). Minor boys (year 7): 1 Fraser Sproul, South Lakes (Sedbergh); 2 Ollie Sanders, South Lakes (Queen Katherine School, Kendal); 3 Daniel Sanderson, South Lakes (Queen Katherine School). Minor Girls (year 7): 1 Anna Mason, Allerdale; 2 Martha Richards, Eden; 3 Melissa Bills, Carlisle.