CHORLEY Harrier Vicky Gill has won her first two races in America.

The Great Britain International, who has just started a two-year Athletic Scholarship at Florida State University, guested in the Florida Intercollegiate Cross Country Championship in her first outing and won the 6K race by 39 seconds.

In her second race, a cross country invitational event in Auburn, Alabama, she posted 16mins 18secs for 5K which was 'a massive'.

She said: "I led from the start establishing a 50m lead in the first 800m and hammered the first mile in 5mins 02secs to give me a 200m advantage, then relaxed and cruised round to win by 22 seconds."

With the competition including girls who have finished in the top 30 in the US Nationals, the race has put her in good stead for the pre-nationals at Birmingham, South Carolina, in a fortnight's time.

Vicky will be home for Christmas and is planning to run the Edinburgh leg of the Reebok Cross Challenge as it is the venue for the European Cross Country Championships in 2003.

She will have another trip back later in the year as she seeks selection for the Commonwealth Games Team.