Stevie's surprise call up to British championships (From Crewe Guardian)

Stevie's surprise call up to British championships

2:49pm Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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STEVIE Stockton will make her senior international debut later this month following a surprise call-up to the British team for the World Cross Country Championships.

The Vale Royal Athletics Club star did not take part in last weekend’s trial, preferring instead to take a break before turning her attention to the track season.

But UK Athletics selectors had other ideas.

Stockton is one of a five-strong senior women’s team spearheaded by recently-crowned European champion Hayley Yelling.

The top three finishers from Saturday’s televised race at Birmingham’s Cofton Park – Freya Murray, Steph Twell and Faye Fullerton – complete the line-up.

“I am sure that competing against the best distance runners in the world will be a great experience for Stevie,” said mentor Dame Kelly Holmes.

The 20-year-old has been part of the double Olympic gold medallist’s Aviva On Camp With Kelly programme for talented middle distance runners since January 2008.

Stockton’s stunning second-placed finish behind Twell at last month’s English national championships no doubt reserved her seat on the plane to Poland, so too will a pair of top ten results at Gateshead and Liverpool in this year’s McCain UK Cross Challenge series.

The Crewe-based runner, currently studying at the University of Loughborough, is no stranger to international cross country competition.

She helped Team GB and NI to collective gold in the U23s race at the European Championships in December after finishing tenth.

An appearance on the world stage is not new either following her appearance in the U20s race at the World Championships in Kenya.

UK Athletics named its 21-member squad for the IAAF event yesterday, Tuesday.

The championships take place in Bydgoszcz on Sunday week.