STEVE Naylor secured a second successive top-ten finish in the South of England Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill, London.

The 34-year-old, from Cassington, matched his ninth place from 2013 after impressing over a very muddy 15km course.

Naylor clocked 51mins 53secs as he led his club Bedford & County to the men’s team silver medal.

He said: “I went with the leaders, well hung on, for the first lap.

“Gaps did start to appear and I actually climbed into fifth on second lap, but a tumble in the mud cost me a few places and time.

“I fought back up to seventh, but then dropped to ninth with about a mile to go.

“I was really pleased with result, especially as the distance is my racing limit.”

Gemma Bridge (Oxford City) was the leading Oxfordshire performer in the senior ladies’ race over 8km where she clocked 34.14 for 28th place.

City’s Lauren Hawtin (25.56) was 18th in the under 20 ladies’ race over 6km.

Clubmate Megan Humph-reys (21.50) finished 17th in her 5km under 17 girls’ event.

Nick Wiltshire and Fiona Bunn provided star turns for Abingdon.

Wiltshire finished eighth in the under 13 boys’ race, while Bunn was ninth under 15 girl, with both picking up places in the final few metres.

Racing over a very muddy 3km course, Wiltshire clocked 12.15.

Bunn completed her 4km course in 15.37, having won her third Vale of White Horse Schools’ title two days before.

MICHELLE Pank led the way for Alchester at a very wet and windy Slaughterford nine-mile race in Wiltshire.

Pank was third lady home and first in the senior age group after completing the demanding course in 1hr 12mins 29secs.

Alchester also retained their ladies’ team title, with Pank supported by Sam Usher (1.17.29) and Zoe Westerman (1.20.27).

BICESTER’S David Kuester began 2014 with three victories in the Midlands (British) Masters Throwers Group (MMTG) Rasenkraft Championships at Moorways Stadium, Derby.

Kuester was happy with his performance in the traditional German throwing contest’s inaugural British meeting.

Competing for the first time as a vet 70 athlete, Kuester won the age group with 1,961 points after throws of 34.91m (4kg hammer), 18.36m (5kg weight) and 8.41m (5kg stein putt).

ABINGDON’S vet 65 British international Noel Blatchford was the second lady home in the 3,000m racewalk at the London Indoor Games, clocking 18mins 53.3secs.