CANON Slade School proved outstanding in their field as they kicked off their national cross country challenge.

Their junior girls, intermediate girls and junior boys teams all qualified for the North West Regional Final after coming through the preliminary round on their home circuit. The junior girls won their category, the boys came home in second and the intermediate girls took third place to secure a run at Birkenhead on November 9. And the organisers were so impressed by Canon Slade's facilities that next year's regional final will also be staged there.