Hawtin stumbles to bronze OXFORDSHIRE'S Melissa Hawtin overcame a mid-race fall to win bronze at the National Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Nottingham.

Hawtin lost vital ground after being tripped from behind, while in the lead group of four and lost vital ground.

But, undeterred, the plucky 12-year-old, from the Oxford City club, picked herself up from the mud to finish a gutsy third.

The Gosford Hill School (Kidlington) pupil, who won a silver medal in the same race last year, claims she was not sure whether the trip was on purpose or which athlete she tangled with.

"I fell over, went back to about tenth and probably lost about 20m," said a frustrated Hawtin.

"It was quite annoying really. A lot of the girls were coming back to me," she added of the latter stages of the race.

But does she believe she could have won had she not been tripped?

"It certainly would have been a lot closer," she said.

Gold medallist Hollie McGurk, of Bedfordshire, finished nine seconds ahead of Hawtin.

She helped the Oxfordshire team finish tenth in the under 13 girls' race.

Bea Swords was the second Oxfordshire runner to count in 13th.

In the junior women's race, Hannah England finished 19th.