RYEDALE School is enjoying unprecedented success with its cross country running team at local and national level.

Back in September, a small Ryedale team conquered the English Schools Fell Running Championships, bringing home team gold in the Year 8/9 boys’ category.

The winning team comprised pupils Maurice Carlton Seal, Nathan Smith and Elliot Hutchinson.

Schoolmate Tyler Hutchinson achieved an individual silver medal in the Year 10/11 boys’ competition.

A combined Year 10 /11 team then stormed through the qualifying rounds of the English Schools Cross Country Cup, going on to represent North Yorkshire in the national finals in Southend.

By far the smallest school to qualify, the team finished ninth overall with Tyler Hutchinson taking an individual silver medal.

Ryedale also boasted more individual qualifiers than any other North Yorkshire school at the district finals.

In their respective age group races, Toby Antcliff and Tyler Hutchinson scooped silver medals, while Nathan Smith finished fourth, Elliot Hutchinson came fifth, Jack Coldbeck and Carlton Seal were eighth, and Harriet Eves was 12th.

These runners all qualified to represent North Yorkshire at the Northern County Schools cross country races in Durham, and, from there, Carlton Seal, Smith, and the Hutchinsons won places in the English Schools Cross Country finals.

Those individual finals are being held in Castle Donnington this month.

The Ryedale School contingent make up nearly half of the county’s Year 8/9 team.

The Hutchinsons also gained Yorkshire vests this year with Elliot becoming the Yorkshire champion in his age group.