WIRRAL schools experienced a day of success at the National Cross Country Cup in Suffolk last week.

The English Schools Cross Country Cup is a contested series of races across the country. Schools must get through their local and then regional qualifying rounds to qualify for the national finals.

A maximum of 27 schools can qualify in each age group for the national finals. This year seven teams from Wirral qualified for the finals.

The junior girls team from West Kirby Grammar School secured a silver medal led by Eve Beddow in fifth place overall while the junior boys from Calday Grammar raced with their highest-placed runner being Finley Marsden in 78th.

Inter races from West Kirby came in eighth overall led by Isla Pastor in sixth place. St Anselm's boys won the bronze medal by six points with Michael Phelan leading them in tenth overall.

In the final races of the day, Calday senior boys came in seventh, and the senior girls of Wirral Grammar and Upton finished in tenth and 19th overall. Alex Poulston of Calday in the boy’s race was awarded bronze, and in the girl’s race Gabby Phelan of Upton finished tenth to match her brother Michael, and Meg Hoshiko of Wirral Grammar finished four seconds behind her in 12th.