SALLY Hogan and Connor Smith were among the star performers for Bromsgrove and Redditch AC at the Worcestershire Cross Country Championships.

Clubs across the region descended as hundreds of competitors tackled the course at Halesowen AC’s Manor Way headquarters at the weekend.

Smith was first home in the under-15s age section in 16 minutes and 23 seconds, while Gareth Richardson was fifth in 17.44.

Hogan, 20, was also a winner for the club, clinching the senior women’s race in 27 minutes and 12 seconds.

Tamara Ball was third in 28.27 and Melanie Hepke, who is an over-40s competitor, finished tenth in the women and fifth in her age section.

Joe Smith was the club’s highest finisher in the senior men’s event, completing the course in 39.57.

There was a fourth place for Katie Plummer in the under-17s, while the club dominated the girls’ under-13s with seven members finishing in the top ten.

Amy Mijovic-Couldwell led the way with third.

Bromsgrove residents Livvy Worth and Abigail Saker, who both raced for Halesowen, were part of the under-15s girls’ team which took gold.

Saker also tasted victory in the individual event.

Meanwhile, at December’s Gloucester Cross Country League in Malvern, Charlotte Ball (27th) and her daughters Tamara, Thomasina (28th) and Orianna (32nd) raced for the first time as part of a BRAC team.

Eighth-placed Tamara was first finisher for the team over the testing hilly two-lap course in a time of 29.31, while Hepke (22nd) and Charlotte Ball completed the scoring trio that finished third out of 20 teams.

The squad’s depth was shown by a seventh place for the B team and fourth place in the veterans’ table. The winner of the women’s race was Camilla Barnes, of host club Worcester AC, in exactly 27 minutes, and the team competition was won by Cheltenham-based CLC Striders.

In the men’s three-lap 10km race, Smith (8th in 36.20) was the fastest Bromsgrove and Redditch runner.

Under-20 athlete Calum Smith (37th) improved to be second.