AMELIA Pettitt narrowly missed out on a medal at a national cross country event for students in Gloucester on Saturday.

The Vale Royal Athletics Club member, representing Newcastle University, classified fourth overall in the women’s race at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships.

It is the 20-year-old’s best performance at the annual showpiece after two previous attempts.

She battled for second spot with eventual winner Pippa Woolven (Birmingham) and Jennifer Nesbitt (Bath) behind long-time leader Rebecca Murray, also of Birmingham, for most of a contest run in windy and muddy conditions over a 6.1km course at Plock Court.

Woolven left it late to pass her teammate, while Nesbitt finished a second clear of Pettitt – who celebrated an international call-up last month when she ran for England in Cardiff – at the finish.

Her younger sister, Clara, was third counter for Newcastle as they ranked 17th in the team standings.

Vale Royal’s Katie Gerrard, making her debut at the championships for Loughborough, was 32nd.

Kate Spilsbury, in the same colours, was not far behind the teenager in 41st.

In the men’s long race, over 10.2km, Matthew Sheen crossed the line 71st in a 330-strong field.

He was fourth counter for a Leeds Beckett team that finished in the top 10.