ERME Valley Harriers’ Will Battershill should be named in Great Britain’s squad for the European Cross Country Championships this week after a strong run at the trials on Saturday.
Steeplechase specialist Battershill finished fifth overall and four senior man at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Liverpool that were doubling as the trials.
The top four senior finishers should be selected for the Great Britain team to compete at the European Championships in Ireland this December, with two others places decided by selection.
Aldershot’s Jack Rowe was a convincing winner of the men’s race in 28.05 minutes, ahead of Olympian Andy Butchard in 28.16.
Central’s Jamie Crowe was third in 28.27, but the race for fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh could not be closer.
Stroud’s under-23 athlete Tom Mortimore was fourth overall and first in his age category in 28.42, with Battershill and Winchester’s Stuart McCallum both clocking 28.43 in fifth and sixth, with former Devon athlete Jake Smith sixth in 28.46 minute.
In the under-20 men’s race, Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart came 14th in a closely-fought event.
Smart was just 22 seconds away from guaranteeing a place in the GB team for the European Championships.
British Athletics will confirm their squads on Tuesday.