Winchester & District are emerging as one of the major forces of the county's cross-country scene.

They proved as much last Saturday in the Hampshire AA Championships at Apple-more's Dibden Inclosure, where their impressive medal haul included one individual and two team golds.

Nicola Ferris was the pathfinder for Winchester's under-13 girls, who lifted the team title for the first time in 13 years.

The youngster led a 42-strong field home over the 2.5-kilometre course in nine minutes and 37 seconds to be crowned individual champion.

Clubmate Hannah Vosser was right behind in third and, with Emma Buckett and Ollie Berry eighth and tenth respectively, Winchester comfortably took the team hours ahead of Aldershot, Farnham & District and bronze medallists Team Southampton.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Winchester's senior women retained their county title with five athletes crammed into the top 15.

Silver medallist Rachel Townend ran a strong race only to miss out on the title by 12 seconds to Jersey Spartan's Jo McGarry.

Natalie Coveney provided strong Winchester support in sixth, followed by vet-45 runner Jan Ross in ninth, Faye Jenner in 12th and Katharine Jones (vet-40) in 15th.

Ross and Jones also picked up silver medals as part of the veteran women's team that finished second to Jersey Spartan. The quartet was completed by Joy Radford, the vet-50 runner-up, and Jan Spring.

Lorna Russell was Winchester's lone entrant in the under-15 girls' race but ran superbly to finish runner-up to Rebecca Gough, who struck gold in both the individual and team events.

With Louise Webb sixth, Michelle Hallett 11th and Megan Coakley 13th, the Gough-led Team Southampton side scooped the under-15 girls' title on a highly successful afternoon for the newly amalgamated club.

Joining Gough at the top of the medal rostrum for Team Southampton was under-20 women's winner Laura Brenton, while there was bronze reward for under-17 man Russell North.

Team-wise, they picked up under-15 boys', under-17 men's and under-17 women's silver and bronze for the under-13 girls.

Southampton Running Club showed well in the senior age-groups with former track international Rod Finch taking bronze behind Guernsey's Lee Merrien and New Forest Runners' Lee Rodriguez in the men's race, spearheading the team to runners-up spot.

The club struck gold in the men's veteran section and were runners-up to Winchester in the women's event, led by fourth-placed Debbie Coslett and Kaye Harwood in eighth.

New Forest Juniors' best results were in the under-17 women's race, in which Hayley Pointer had another good run for fifth.

With Charlotte Bates following up in eighth, Laura Pankhurst ninth and Laura Marzaroli 25th, NFJ finished in bronze medal spot - the club's first ever Championship medal.

Individually, NFJ's highest-place runner was Alice Cole, who finished sixth under-13 girl.

Full list of results in today's Daily Echo