REMARKABLE progress made in the space of a year has earned a Prudhoe High School pupil a county title.

Robyn Bennett had never qualified for the inter-counties round of the Schools Cross Country Championships despite her best efforts, but she put that right in style by taking victory in the senior girls’ race in the Northumberland event this week.

The 17-year-old, from Wylam, is enjoying a breakthrough year and highlights include representing England Athletic’s mountain running team and a silver in the recent North East Cross Country Championships.

And now gold in the county schools has left her on a high.

Robyn said: “I was so nervous before the race, but I think everybody was. The race was really hard because it was such a short and fast one.

I hadn’t qualified before so I’m really pleased to have won today.

“Hopefully, it is a sign of things to come as I’ve got lots of runs planned and there is no break at all next month!

“There’s the Northerns at the end of the month, but the main goals are the world and European mountain running trials I’m targeting.

“Since this time last year, I’ve started eating right and training more and it has all just taken off.”

Hannah Pinkney, a pupil at Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High School, also qualified for the next round in the same race as she crossed the line in sixth place.