NEWENT Community School and Sixth Form Centre’s Ellie Hathaway bagged gold in the Gloucestershire Cross-country Championships at Gloucester’s Plock Court.

The year 10 pupil joined 23 school-mates after success at the Forest district competition and produced a gutsy finish to sprint past her closest rivals in the inter girls’ race.

Newent head of PE Steve Edgell said: “We are so proud of Ellie. She dug deep and, with a final sprint at the end of a gruelling race, won it to become county cross-country champion.”

There were also fine performances from the senior boys with Ben Arkell, Oliver Hayward and Henry Willis finishing in the top 10 to qualify for next year’s south-west event in Cardiff.

Newent won five out of the six district team events which included a first, second and third in the inter girls’ race.