Jessica Andrews has her sights set on the World Student Cross-Country Championships after scooping gold on her debut for Great Britain.
The Brunel University student was part of the U23 squad, with the likes of 2012 Olympian Laura Weightman, on the winner’s podium at the European Cross-Country Championships, held last week in Belgrade, Serbia.
The first-year sport science undergraduate finished 16th. Charlotte Purdue finished third, Kate Avery was fourth, and Lilly Partridge followed closely in fifth. Rhona Auckland and Weightman were seventh and eighth.
The great bunching of the British team gave them team gold ahead of Russia and the Netherlands, leaving a delighted Andrews dreaming of more success in the worldwide event in Africa in March 2014.
She said: “I am overwhelmed to be part of GB’s winning team in my first competition.
“To finish with team gold, standing on the podium and singing the national anthem was amazing.
“This win has given me a boost ahead of contending for a place on the GB team at the World Student Cross-Country Championships in Uganda in March.”
To qualify for Uganda, Andrews will need to be in shining form when representing Brunel in the British Universities Cross-Country Championship, to be held in Stirling, Scotland, next February.
