TEENAGER Alex Short made the most of the absence of series leader Adam Hickey to bag his first senior win in the third round of the Essex Cross-Country League in Hadleigh.

Southend High School for Boys student Short, 17, ran away from the rest of the field over the undulating Hadleigh Country Park course to record what proved to be a comfortable victory.

Elsewhere, Jessica Judd made it three league wins out of three in the senior women’s race, a feat also matched by Max Jones in the under-13 boys and George Elliott in the under-15 boys.

Thurrock Harriers’ Gemma Holloway picked up her second win of the league series in a competitive under-15 girls race, while there were two team wins apiece for Southend AC (under-15 and under-17 boys) and Basildon AC (under-13 boys and under 17/20 women).

Finishing second behind Short in the senior men’s race was his Chelmsford AC team-mate and former Basildon runner Mark Sanford, with Seevic’s Sam Coombs in third.

Jon Briggs showed good form to lead the Basildon AC contingent home in sixth place ahead of teenager Jack Fitsall (ninth).

Hickey, the leader in the league standings, was resting an ankle injury ahead of the European Cross-Country trials in Liverpool tomorrow.

Two other athletes who will be racing in Liverpool dominated the senior women’s race which, as always, was combined with the under-17 boys.

Sixteen-year-old Judd (Chelmsford AC) once again proved too strong for most of the boys of her age, finishing the first woman and fourth overall.

The Canvey teenager was again chased down hard by Billericay’s Alexa Joel (Havering Mayesbrook) who was second, 18 seconds back on Judd.

Basildon AC’s Anna Whitfield was fourth and Southend AC’s Sarah Jeffrey ninth.

Host club Benfleet were the third team home thanks to Catherine Stunt (16th), Louisa Latham (20th), Jacqui Watson and Debra Francis (27th).

In the under-17 boys, Havering Mayesbrook’s Hoseah Gilkugu was the run-away winner for the third time this season, but Southend AC’s Oliver Kyriakides ran hard to finish in third.

Benfleet’s James Hall was the host club’s highest place individual finisher of the day in fifth place, with Ashley Capel (sixth), Rob Frith (seventh) and Steven Hancock (eighth) making up the winning Southend AC team.

Rayleigh’s Sophie Riches was absent in the under-17/20 women’s race which allowed Colchester Harriers’ Sam Redgrave to take the win.

But behind her the Basildon girls were in dominant form, taking six of the top ten places to seal the team prize.

Kaylee Dodd led them home in fourth place ahead of Emily Bullis (sixth), Eleanor Johnson (seventh), Jade Peel (eighth), Emily Ballard (ninth) and Amy Webb (tenth).

Westcliff-based Elliott again proved far too strong for his rivals in the under-15 boys race, with Laurence Willmore (Southend AC) coming home in third ahead of team-mate Adam Jordan (fifth).

Daniel Ashley was the first Basildon AC youngster home in 6th place, followed by team-mates Christian Gray (eighth) and Stephen Davies (tenth).

Southend AC’s Ben Cockerill was ninth and second scorer in their winning team, with Joe Ray (13th) and Zach Inwood (19th) making up their top four.

Harriers’ Holloway proved again she is in great form by winning the under-15 girls race, while Rayleigh’s Millie Smith (Chelmsford AC) served notice of her improving form with a fantastic second place.

Maisie Jones was the first Basildon AC athlete to finish in fifth place ahead of Southend AC pair Emma Jarvis (sixth) and Olivia Tidd (seventh). Basildon’s Poppy Aitmarri was eighth.

FitzWimarc School youngster Jones kept up his 100 per cent record in the under-13 boys, edging out Thurrock Harriers’ Tony Meredith who was second.

Jones’ Basildon AC team-mates then dominated the rest of the top ten standings with Ollie Cantwell (fifth), Joe Kidd (sixth), Mason Webb (seventh) and Mitchell Cox (eighth) all running strongly.

In the under-13 girls, Chelmsford AC’s Khai Mhlanga got the better of Sophie Tooley (West Suffolk) with Canvey’s Jodie Judd not far behind in third.

Benfleet’s Kiera Tippett (Chelmsford AC) was fourth ahead of Jemima Walker (fifth, Basildon AC), Niamh Smith (sixth, Basildon AC), Sinead Clark (eighth, Benfleet) and Ellie Smith (ninth, Thurrock Harriers).