OVERTON Harriers' Wales veteran international Cath Wheeler got just what the doctor ordered with a dogged second place in the senior women's race when the village club recently hosted this season's penultimate Hampshire Cross Country League meeting at Ashe Meadows.

The rural setting was in sharp contrast to the big town parkland venues normally associated with modern cross country courses and the relatively flat but deceptively tough course close to the source of the River Test has become a firm favourite with all the runners.

The popular Overton runner, a 1500m specialist quickly established herself in third place and chased her younger rivals all the way and eventually clinched second place in the closing stages, her best league position this season.

She was well supported in the team event by Audra Dennison 21st and Liz Sandal Ball 42nd, both of whom had season's best placing, enabling the Overton team to finish fifth. The supporting group was led home by new recruit Dorothy Wicke in 59th place, her first outing at this level, Moira West 64th, Madeleine Vosser 71st and Karen Burton 79th.

The men's team was last in action running a three-lap course of 9km. Mark Simcox, eager to improve on the previous month's best ever result, led the Overton contingent on the initial fast sections. However, strength and patience prevailed as British international duathlete Ian Ford and Mike Bliss, back from a long lay-off, stayed with the early pace and gradually worked their way through to finish in 26th and 27th places respectively, with Simcox, clearly not at his best, finishing some nine places behind Overton's leading duo.

The men's team also finished fifth on the day and was completed by Martin Crawshaw in 55th place, his best ever, and Dave Vosser 58th, his best for a long time, which was enough to maintain the village club's overall third place in the league. Overton's 'B' team was made up from Keith Clark 73rd, Gavin Duncan 95th, Dave Henery 105th - a new best - Newbury-based Chris Treacher 109th, and David Bright, who also had his best ever placing when coming home 124th.

Bringing up the rear and helping to keep the opposition back were Andy Hartley in 143rd place, Eric Tilbury 162nd, Steve McNair 165th, Richard Francis 171st, Dave Titcomb 200th, and real old timers John Thomas and John Goulding who were 208th and 212th respectively.

The under-13 boys team were in action first, over a one lap course measuring 3.4km, which included a fast downhill section at the start followed by flat grassland along the side of the river. The fast start clearly suited Richard Knapes, another of the club's runners from Newbury, but was also strong enough on the tougher uphill sections to finish an excellent seventh, his best at this level. His training partners Thomas Purcell and Thomas Ridley, who are both a year younger, came home 36th and 38th respectively while newcomer Alex Bright from Whitchurch in 45th completed the Overton scorers for the team to finish in seventh place.

Next in action over a two-lap course of 4km, which included two tough hill sections on the edge of a muddy field, was the under-15 boys team. Overton's Aaron Harris, using this race as preparation for the Hampshire Schools Cross Country Championships later this month, went with the initial manic dash and tried to stay with the leaders. Not surprisingly the 13-year old was unable to match the strength of his older rivals and had to settle for 13th place, still his best ever in this category.

Robert Ridley and Mark Vardy, two youngsters from Newbury, found the fast pace too strong but did well to finish 23rd and 24th respectively. Overton's rising golf star Scott Graham finished 34th to bring the team home in a well deserved fifth place.

Not content with one weekend race, a small but spirited group of Harriers also competed in the Stubbington Green '10' road race the following day. Run in good conditions, the event is part of the village club's official racing calendar and counts towards the prestigious annual accolade of 'Most Consistent Runner', and with the title contest hotting up it was not surprising that some members decided to double up.

Dave Vosser was the first Overton runner to finish in 56th place in 37:6s, followed by current league leader Dave Henery 107th in 39: 9s. David Mills was 205th in 41: 55s, Steve McNair 230th in 42:29s, and Moira West looking to be this seaso'ns most consistent 'Ladies Runner' was 488th in 48:14s, her best ever showing at this distance.