NEW Forest Juniors sent a sizeable squad to Salisbury for the opening fixture of the Wessex Cross-Country League season.

With the weather taking a turn for the worse, Noadswood School's Hayley Pointer revelled in the heavy rain and strong winds to record her first victory in the under-15 girls' age-group.

Timing her finish perfectly, Pointer - who had finished eighth in the Hampshire CC match at Winchester the previous day - sat just behind the leaders and then stormed to victory in the last 300 metres.

In the same race, her schoolmate Charlotte Bates was 24th and Laura Marzaroli came 28th.

For the under-13 girls, Lucy Wainwright was tenth, Charlotte Walsh 16th, Phoebe Carson 37th, Nikola Wells 43rd and Rachel Smallwood 45th.

Jade Davies ran well for fifth in the under-17 age group, followed by Sarah Hackston in 18th.

In the under-11 fun run, Amelia Faulkner-White led the NFJ charge ahead of Stephanie Smallwood and Grace Wainwright.

Pointer's eighth was NFJ's highest position on a sunny afternoon at Farley Mount, Winchester.

Others competing were: Shelley Longden (25th under-13 girls), Graham Nelson (31st under-13 boys), Laura Marzaroli (33rd under-15 girls), Matt Scarfe (22nd under-17 men).

Next up for NFJ is Sunday's (October 20) Hampshire Sportshall League match.