Jake Gregorious pulled off one of the shocks of the day by claiming victory at the Devon Schools Cross-Country Championships on Saturday.
The pupil at Ottery St Mary's King's School only took up running as it was a sport he manage to do after suffering a broken arm.
Having finished 16th in the junior race last year two-and-a-half minutes behind the winner, and only sixth in the Exeter & East Devon schools intermediate trials at Haldon in December, he was not expected to be among the contenders.
However, he made a move at the halfway point of the boys' intermediate race, last year's junior champion Finn McClear from Uffculme School and Exeter Harriers let him get away and could not make any impression on his lead.
And Gregorious held on for a five-second win from the fast-finishing McClear in the event held at Stover School.
Teignmouth's Molly Canham won the junior girls' race in style, passing the bronze and silver medallists in the final 100 metres. She will now face girls a year older than herself in the South West and English Schools Championships. King's School's Eleanor Brandon was third.
Alex Moyse from Teignmouth won the minor boys' race, with Isca's Rio Turl second and Johnny Livingstone, from Colyton Grammar School and Exeter Harriers, in third.
There was also success for Colyton's Elliot Morgan, who claimed his first schools cross-country title in the juniors.
In the senior boys' race, Blundell's School's Jake Smith managed to come second and Exmouth's Jason Drew secured third spot.
Exeter School's Maddie Roche was second in the intermediate girls' event.
The team titles were dominated by the Exeter and East area, with the positions of the first six team members counting for the team score. Exeter and East took six of the eight races – all the boys and the intermediate and senior girls' titles.
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