Students from Samuel Whitbread Community College in Clifton excelled in the Beds schools cross-country championships at Ampthill Park last Wednesday. Sam Cutler raced in the intermediate girls group and had a fantastic race, taking the lead early on and

Students from Samuel Whitbread Community College in Clifton excelled in the Beds schools' cross-country championships at Ampthill Park last Wednesday.

Sam Cutler raced in the intermediate girls' group and had a fantastic race, taking the lead early on and pushing on to win by a big margin.

There were two races in one, seniors and intermediates, and Sam was first overall.

Sam was presented with a gold medal and is now Beds schools' cross-country champion.

Samuel Whitbread had a one-two-three in the intermediate girls' race with Chelsea McKenzie second and Abi Crane third.

And Ryan Parker was also in good form to finish second in the senior men's race.

The quartet have all been selected to compete for Bedfordshire at the English schools' cross-country finals in Liverpool in March.

Sam, in her last year at Samuel Whitbread, has been at the English schools' finals for the last three years.

She competed in her last Chiltern League race at Wing on Saturday, finishing ninth. Sam (shown above fighting through the mud) came fifth in the league, missing out on third by a point.

She is now looking ahead to the national cross-country championships at Alton Towers on February 23.