ATHLETICS: Briscoe's England call (From Bicester Advertiser)

ATHLETICS: Briscoe's England call

10:00am Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport By Ed Mezzetti, Sports reporter specialising in Rugby, Cricket and Athletics. Call me on 01865 425456

FRANCES Briscoe’s strong cross country season has been marked with an England call-up.

The 29-year-old seven-time Oxfordshire champion, from Wantage, will compete for England on Saturday in the Home Countries International at the Dinefwr Estate, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Briscoe, whose first-claim club is Coventry Godiva Harrriers, earned her spot on the senior ladies’ team after finishing eighth in the English National Championships and 14th in the UK Inter-Counties Championships.

She has also finished third in the Midland Championships and won the Midland Women’s League during a very productive winter.

Saturday’s event sees England take on Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Midland Counties, North of England, South of England and Combined Services.

Army officer Elysia Ridley, from Ascot-under-Wychwood, will compete for the Combined Services.

Although Ridley finished sixth in the Welsh championships, she has opted to run with her military colleagues.

She enters the race having finished as fourth lady in the Fleet Half Marathon, where she clocked a time of 1hr 23mins 29secs.

The same event saw Abingdon Amblers’ Quinten Kearns finish fifth.

Kearns, who also competes for the Army, recorded a personal best time of 1.13.37.

• OXFORD City’s Dave Parsons was the first vet 65 man home in the Reading Half Marathon.

Parsons, who is returning to full fitness after injury, recorded 1hr 31mins 55secs for the 13.1-mile course.