COLCHESTER Harriers’ Nicola Rogers produced one of her finest-ever runs to claim bronze at the SEAA Masters and Southern Inter Counties Cross-Country Championships.

She battled against top-class opposition at Oxford to claim an individual third place and also help the Essex team to bronze.

Rogers was only pipped by her victorious Essex team-mate Laura Deadman of Havering and Aldershot’s Georgina Bruinvels, who was runner-up.

Completing the Essex team was Springfield’s Liz Davies.

Harriers’ Danny Millward ran for Essex in the under-13 boys’ race and gained a lot of experience in finishing 78th.

And in the under-15s event, Harriers Jake young was an impressive 80th.

The Southern Masters Cross-Country Championships were also held at the same venue.

Last year’s runner-up Colin Ridley was fifth and Pete West finished 25th, after both competed in the over-50 event.

The latest 53-12 Cross Country fixture held at Ramsey was a tough affair with icy water and sticky mud grinding the athletes down over the five-mile course.

Ged McMillan ran strongly for 13th place and Simon Taylor produced his best-ever race for Colchester to finish 26th, ahead of team-mate Paul Rogers (30th).

David Wright broke through the field on the second lap for a good 38th place.

Other Harriers finishers: Richard Millward (53rd), Richard Boden (64th), Chris Manby (70th), Russell Goodridge (79th), Dave Gayer (92nd), Dan Wilkinson (100th), Pat Marsh (104th), Arthur Whiston (108th).

Harriers’ ladies were in excellent form, with tough Army runner Kimberley Preston leading the team home in seventh.

Ellie Mayne was eighth while the ever-improving Debbie Cattermole was ninth.

Lyn Higgs courageously battled on after a heavy fall to finish as Harriers’ last scorer in 13th.

Other Harriers finishers: Rebecca Cooke (15th), Rachel Taylor (16th), Kate Priestley (26th), Beth Francis (35th), Caroline Smith (37th).

Harriers’ juniors were beaten in the 53-12 League for the first time this season, as Christmas illnesses took their toll.

The Green Vests finished runners-up behind Witham but still retain a big lead, at the league’s halfway point.

Harriers finishers: 1 Oscar Dawson, 5 Joseph Boden, 6 Mathew Smith, 7 Danny Millward, 37 Mia Farrell, 42 Isabella Minder, 53 Amalia Dean, 46 Samantha Smith.

Team result: 1 Witham 50, 2 Colchester Harriers 56, 3 Ipswich 62. Overall league positions: 1 Colchester Harriers 4, 2 Witham 7, 3 Ipswich 9.

Harriers’ Malcolm Statham clocked up another marathon on his journey to 200 after clocking three hours 45 minutes, at an icy Milton Keynes.

At the latest Castle Park run, Harriers boasted five runners in the top-seven finishers.

Anthony Barraclough won in 17m 02 seconds, followed by Ged McMillan (third, 17m 45s), Cameron Humphries (fourth, 19m 02s), Ethan Thower (fifth, 19m 07s) and David Wright (seventh, 19m 20s).