Stevenage and North Herts AC are going up after a successful cross-country campaign. The club sent 27 runners to a sunny Wing on Saturday for the final Chiltern Cross-Country League meeting. They maintained their second place in the Second Division of the

Stevenage and North Herts AC are going up after a successful cross-country campaign.

The club sent 27 runners to a sunny Wing on Saturday for the final Chiltern Cross-Country League meeting.

They maintained their second place in the Second Division of the league, with all the age groups from under-13s to seniors counting towards the final score to gain promotion to Division One.

Two members finished first on the day, three came second, and one was third.

Under-20 woman Becky Newstead picked up her third winning spot, followed by Victoria Little (under-17) and Jasmine Forde in second and fourth places, giving the team first place on the day.

The other winner was under-17 man Josh Moss, followed in by Callum McKechnie in fifth making the team place second.

Chloe Vernon-Hamilton in second place led the under-15 girls' team home to their first place, followed by Claire Ward (third), Sarah Pike (eighth), Karen Meadows (10th), and Charlotte Baird (15th).

Senior man Dan Poulton continued his fine series, never being lower placed than third in the five league races, running into second place.

He was ahead of Adam Searle (fifth), Marcus McKechnie (17th, third in the under-20 age group), Sam Poulton (19th, fourth under-20), Paul Keeble (66th, 18th vet), and Stephen Pickett (88th, 29th vet).

The under-15 boys were the biggest group from the club. The team finished in second place with Matthew Leach (sixth), Lewis Keeble (seventh), Luke Langley (10th), Paul Spicer (15th), Warren Herridge (16th), David O'Connell (17th), David Pickett (18th) and Gregory Evans (20th).

Senior woman Nikki Andrews finished in 24th place.

Although the under-11s do not score in the overall team competition, Sophie Keeble has run consistently well, finishing this time in 15th place, and David Spicer was 24th in the boys' race.

The club's overall team position, after the five races, of second place means they will be scoring in Division One next winter for the first time.

The individuals scoring uses the best four results from the five races, and the team scores are over the five races.

Three individuals and two teams won their age group; two individuals and one team were second; two individuals and one team finished in third place.

The winners were Dan Poulton (senior man), Josh Moss (under-17 man), Becky Newstead (under-20 woman), and the under-20/under-17 women's and under-15 boys' teams.

Second placers were Marcus McKechnie (under-20 man), Victoria Little (under-17 women) and the under-17 men's team.

Thirds went to Adam Searle (senior man), Jasmine Forde (under-20 woman), and the under-15 girls' team.

The other male members who scored in the overall results are Sam Poulton (fourth under-20), Stephen Pickett (14th veteran), Paul Keeble (15th veteran), and Callum McKechnie (fifth under-17).

And six boys in the under-15 age group - Lewis Keeble (fifth), Luke Langley (sixth), David Pickett (10th), Paul Spicer (11th), Warren Herridge (13th), and David O'Connell (14th).

The other women members with their overall positions were: Nikki Andrews (sixth senior), Tilly Scheuber (fourth under-20), Claire Ward (fourth under-15), Sarah Pike (eighth under-15), Karen Meadows (11th under-15), Charlotte Baird (12th under-15) and Alex Gates (seventh under-13).

Emma Kemp and Tonderai Tomu were running at the National Indoor Championships at Sheffield on Saturday.

Kemp clocked a season's best of 56.26 in her 400m heat, missing the final by just 0.01, and Tomu clocked 22.55 in his 200m heat.