Dage Minors returned from school overseas to win the 20-39 age group at the National Cross Country Championships at Clearwater Beach on Saturday.

Minors, who is pursuing a master’s degree at Franklin Pearce University in New Hampshire, made a rare appearance in a local race, setting the pace in the five-mile race from the outset.

The 23-year-old completed a comfortable victory over Nathan Trott with a time of 30min 40.33sec. Trott, in the same age group, was well behind, crossing the line in 44:07.54.

“I wasn’t really looking for a specific time; I just wanted to make sure the legs felt good,” said Minors, who returned to the US yesterday.

“I couldn’t really get into a rhythm as there were a lot of sharp turns. It’s always good to win, so I can’t complain about that.

“This is my off-season and getting ready for track season. I just came to spend some time with my family.”

Rose-Anna Hoey won the women’s race in 21:47.69 over the three-mile course. Delila Monterrosa placed second in the 20-39 age group in 29:17.98.

Johndell Cumberbatch won the 17-19 boys’ race over a three-mile course, finishing in 18:51.96 while Stephan Dill was second in 25:39.59.

“It was good weather today, not too windy and the course wasn’t too hard, either,” Cumberbatch said.

Cumberbatch was close to Ryan Outerbridge, Tommy Marshall and Khazi Sealey in the 14-16 runners who finished in that order in their age group.

“I was running with them pretty much the whole way, Ryan especially, until the last 100 metres,” Cumberbatch said.

Outerbridge clocked a time of 18:53.56 to finish first, just 16 seconds ahead of Marshall in 19:09.84.

“I felt my performance was pretty good today,” said Outerbridge, who has also won the 17-19 boys’ series. “There were about three or four good hills, steep but not too long.”

Outerbridge and Sealey competed in a cross-country event in Tennessee last weekend as part of the Bermuda Pacers team, which proved to be good preparation for the championships. “That was a lot more challenging considering the weather out there,” Outerbridge admitted.

Jessie Marshall won the 14-16 girls’ one-mile race in 22:51.23, just over a minute ahead of Mid Atlantic Athletic Club team-mate Liana Medeiros in 23:59.64.

“The conditions were OK; it wasn’t that humid so I found it good to run in,” said Marshall, who also won the 14-16 series.

“I’ve been suffering from shin splints so I wasn’t expecting to do as well as I did, but I feel I had a good performance. The course was quite hilly, which I found challenging.”

Jezhari Talbot, and Taylor Hines were third and fourth in the 14-16 girls’ category, while Ariel Taylor was the lone competitor in the 17-19 division, clocking 24:57.99.

Sarah Thompson won the 40-49 women’s race in 23:52.66 while Karen Smith took the 50-59 title, clocking 22:43.17 to finish ahead of Victoria Fiddick in 23:20.91.

Edwina Arorash won the 60-69 division in 38:28.23. Omari Hart finished first in the 40-49 men’s race, clocking a time of 21.24.88 to finish 11 seconds ahead of John Thompson in 21:35.76.

Neil de Ste Croix placed first in the 50-59 race, finishing in 19:32.78 while Scott Neil was second in 24:19.21 and Twilton Hardtman third in 27:26.26.

Mike Rickards, Michael Whalley and Robert Oliver were first, second and third in the 70+ division. Rickards, the second oldest competitor at 77, had a winning time of 32:35.33 while Whalley was second in 33:06.11.

In junior two-miles races, Shayla Cann won the 12-13 girls’ race in 15:11.34, with Ramiah Brangman second and Katherine Bean-Rosario third. Simeon Hayward won the boys’ 12-13 race, clocking 13:19.44, with Tajai Goater second and Jayson Simons third.

Amaris Munya and Luca Bortoli won the respective girls’ and boys’ nine and under titles, while Jaeda Grant and Ellise Dickinson were first and second in the 10-11 girls’ competition. Nayan Grant took the boys’ 10-11 title.