Steve Smythe continues our end-of-season merit rankings by taking a look at the under-20 performances

This could have gone a number of ways as last year’s No.1 Amelia Quirk again won the National (and Southern) but she is not a junior internationally, did not contest most under-20 races and dropped out at BUCS and Cardiff races. So we chose Izzy Fry as the top athlete.

The English National runner-up led home the British team in Lisbon and was the leading junior in the BUCS race.

Liverpool and Cardiff winner Saskia Millard is ranked second, despite a truncated season, followed by Inter-Counties and Scottish champion Megan Keith, who trailed the leading pair at Liverpool and Lisbon.

Quirk is ranked fourth ahead of English Schools and Northern champion Olivia Mason, whose wins give her the edge over Amelia Samuels and Cera Gemmell, who beat her at Lisbon. They are followed by a trio of bronze medallists Giorgia Chattwood (National), Kate O’Neill (CAU) and Charlotte Alexander (ESAA).

The consistent Shannon Flockhart is next ahead of Yasmin Marghini, who had a pair of top class fifth places.

Lauren McNeil also had two top class races (and nothing else).

Imogen Wood was second in the Inter-Counties but needed more to rank highly. However, she ranks ahead of Alexandra Millard who had a number of high places but was only 19th at the National.

Kirsty Walker was behind Maisie Grice in the National but edged her elsewhere.

Holly Page did enough in the Scottish and BUCS races to rank and the top 20 are completed by Northern runner-up Becky Briggs and Scot Rhona Mowat.

Just missing out are Loughborough top 10 Sarah Tait, Elsbeth Grant, Dominique Corradi and Emily Field and Dublin winner Grace Carson and Eastern champion Tia Wilson.

English Schools runner-up Grace Carson and Midlands champion Lily Higgins needed more quality to rank.

Athletes who achieved the following were considered for the rankings: All European team; Top 12: National, BUCS; Top 10: Liverpool, CAU Inter-Counties, ESAA; Top 8: Stirling; Top 6: Cardiff, North, Milton Keynes; Top 5: South; Top 3: Midlands, Scottish

Key of major events: BUCS: British Univ, Card: Cardiff, CAU: Inter-Counties, EC: European, ECR: English XC Relays, Elg: Elgoibar, Kerk: Kerkrade, Liv: Liverpool, Mids: Midlands, Mil K: Milton Keynes, Nat: National; Nth: North, Rots: Rotselaar, Santi: Santiponce, ScEDL: Scottish East District League, Sco: Scotland, SCR: Scottish Relays, SSC: Scottish Short Course, Sth: South, Stirl: Stirling

1 Izzy Fry (Newb) (2019: -)
2 Nat 25:38, 6 BUCS 29:37, 6 EC 14:33, 2 Liv 15:33, 7 Stirl snr 30:08, 4 Rots 22:56, ECR 8:30

2 Saskia Millard (Herne H) (2019: -)
11 EC 14:37, 1 Liv 15:32, 1 Card 15:33, ECR 8:47

3 Megan Keith (Inv) (2019: 18 U17)
1 CAU 23:34, 1 Sco 25:52, 1 Stirl 26:14, 27 EC 15:06, 3 Liv 15:34, 3 SSC 14:08, SCR13:42

4 Amelia Quirk (Brack) (2019: 1)
1 Nat 25:33, 1 Sth 24:18, 15 EC U23 21:57, 16 Liv snr 29:39, Card DNF, BUCS DNF, ECR 8:41

5 Olivia Mason (Bord H) (2019: 1 U17)
4 Nat 26:14, 1 ESSG 15:49, 1 Nth 22:14, 3 Stirl 26:32, 45 EC 15:27, 5 Liv 15:47, 2 Mil K 16:46

6 Amelia Samuels (W&B) (2019: 3)
12 EC 14:41, 4 Liv 15:41, 5 Stirl 27:39, ECR 8:25, MCR 20:39

7 Cera Gemmell (E Loth) (2019: 4 U17)
4 CAU 24:28, 2 Sco 26:54, 2 Stirl 26:25, 17 EC 14:53, 6 Liv 15:49, 4 Card 16:06, 4 SSC 14:12

8 Giorgia Chattwood (W&B) (2019: -)
8 CAU Snr 44:39, 3 Nat 26:03, 2 Mids 22:41, 2 BUCS 6km 22:14, 27 Liv snr 30:16, ECR 9:10

9 Kate O’Neill (Have) (2019: -)
3 CAU 24:20, 7 Nat 26:46, 3 BUCS 6km 22:19, 2 Sth 24:56, 4 Elgoi 16:58, 11 Liv 16:01, 4 SIC 22:46, 1 Esx

10 Charlotte Alexander (Herne H) (2019: 3 U17)
3 ESSG 16:06, 2 Card 15:46, 1 Sy Sch

11 Shannon Flockhart (C&C) (2019: 8 U17)
9 Nat 27:07, 4 ESSG 16:08, 1 Rots 16:15, 3 Sth 25:16, 5 Card 16:18, 1 Cambs, 1 Cambs Sch, ECR 8:53

12 Yasmin Marghini (Herne H) (2019: -)
5 Nat 26:28. 5 ESSG 16:10, 1 Lon Sch, 1 Middx

13 Lauren McNeil (Bux) (2019: -)
6 Nat 26:40, 12 BUCS 30:25

14 Imogen Wood (Corn) (2019: -)
2 CAU 24:10, 5 Santi 18:51, 16 Liv 16:32, 13 Card 16:46, 1 Corn

15 Alexandra Millard (Inv) (2019: -)
6 ESSG 16:11, 5 CAU 25:21, 19 Nat 27:51, 5 Sth 25:31, 2 Rots 16:21, 1 Kent, 1 Kent Sch

16 Kirsty Walker (Read) (2019: 18)
12 Nat 27:30, 4 BUCS 6km 22:45, 7 Sth 25:54, 5 Dub 21:35

17 Maisie Grice (AFD) (2019: -)
11 Nat 27:22, 6 BUCS 6km 23:06, 10 Sth 26:26, 1 SIC 22:12, 7 Liv 15:52, ECR 8:46

18 Holly Page (Dart) (2019: 4)
42 CAU snr 47:53, 3 Sco 27:30, 18 BUCS 31:10, 5 Kt snr, 5 SSC 14:15, SCR 14:20

19 Becky Briggs (CoH) (2019: 9)
10 Nat 27:14, 22 BUCS 31:23, 2 Nth 22:40, 28 Rots 24:40, 34 Stirl 32:21, 29 Liv 16:56, 1 Humbs, ECR 9:14

20 Rhona Mowat (Giff N) (2019: -)
6 CAU 25:35, 7 Sco 28:55, 30 BUCS 32:02, 48 Stirl 33:04, 3 ScWD 29:48, 6 Sco Stud 26:21, SCR 14:41

Click here for senior men’s rankings and here for senior women’s. Under-20 men’s rankings can be found here.