MAX Davis signed off his final appearance in the Bath & North East Somerset Cross Country Championships with a handsome win as he retained his senior boys’ title.

The 17-year-old member of Avon Valley Runners prevailed after a good battle with Prior Park's Sean Barry to complete his third successive victory in the event, which was organised by Kingswood School.

Since making his debut in 2012 and finishing 49th in the minor boys’ age group, Davis has improved to 20th as a first year junior before making the podium for the first time with bronze in the 2014 junior boys’ race.

Another bronze as a first year inter boy followed in 2015 before he began his unbeaten three-year reign as the top cross country runners in the BANES district.

Davis said: “It was a good race between Sean and I as we both went out hard from the start.

“Gradually I began to pull clear of him because he may have started to fade a bit and I was very pleased with the win and how I performed.

“It was my third win in a row which is nice and I have certainly progressed since finishing 49th as a minor boy. I didn’t expect to be doing so well as now after that start.”

The win clearly didn’t take too much out of Davis as a few days later he finished a strong fifth in the senior men’s race at the second Gwent Cross Country League near Llanelli.

“It was the first time I have run the senior race and at 10k the furthest I have raced on the country,” added Davis.

“I was very pleased to finish fifth and top junior as it was a strong field. It was a good end to the week for me.”

To complete a good day for the Davis family at the schools’ event younger sister Daisy finished 15th in the inter girls’ race – a massive improvement on her 70th place as a junior twelve months ago.

Also at Pembrey Country Park, Davis’ AVR team-mates Jackie Rockliffe and Bethan Francis finished sixth and seventh respectively in the senior women’ s race.

With Veryan Cranston 23rd, C Johnston 40th and L Sartin 43rd, the AVR women finished third in the team competition.