Sussex were shock winners of the team title for boys at the All England Schools Cross Country Championships staged in Stanmer Park.

Craig Ivemy led the seniors home, Tom Bilham the intermediates and Chris West the juniors.

Manager Shaun Gillam said: "It is the first time Sussex have done it. It was a surprise because we are not the biggest county and it's a fantastic achievement.

"We did not have an individual medal winner but showed plenty of strength in depth. The boys responded to a big atmosphere and it was fitting to win the title in Sussex."

Each county is divided into groups decided on population and the boys also claimed the Group B Aggregate Cup.

Charlotte Browning helped guide Sussex girls to second in the intermediate team event and first in their group.

Gillam said: "If it hadn't been for a last-minute injury to Mark Barham we could have won the boys' senior event as well.

"The secret of our team successes was the spirit. They were all geed up."

Gillam hopes to do even better next year when the championships are staged at Maidstone.

He said: "In many cases the more successful runners were at the bottom end of their age group which means they will have another year's experience."

Sussex staged the championships for the first time and 2,000 athletes took part in front of around 3,000 spectators.

Gillam said: "It was the best All England I have attended. Organiser Tony Elder did a tremendous job and I received nothing but compliments from other team managers. It was a really successful day for Sussex athletics.

"We can feel well pleased with our teams and the organisation for such a large and prestigious event."

There were many fine individual performances from Sussex runners.

Ivemy (Park College, Eastbourne), who is coached by Elder, chalked up the highest placing by a Sussex athlete when he finished tenth in the boys' senior race.

He said: "I was feeling really strong at the end and finished fast. I had a good run.

"I planned to take the first part of the race easily as in recent races I have been running out of steam.

"This time I had quite a bit left at the finish and maybe, had I pushed myself a little earlier, I may have made up a couple of places, which would have been nice but I am not unhappy with my run.

"It was a tough course with some testing hills and a nasty uphill stretch that was in quite a state by the time we started. But there was also some fast running so there was something for everyone."

Conor McClarnon (Chichester) was the only other Sussex runner to make the top 100, placing 89th while the senior team filled 13th overall and seventh in their group.

Browning (Chichester), a multi-national champion, was disappointed to finish 11th in her first year as an intermediate.

She was ill in the week but made no excuses as she missed an international international call-up.

Charlotte said: "I wasn't at my best. I would have liked to have made the top eight and got a place in the English Schools' team but I still have next year. It was great we did so well overall as a team."

She was followed by Katy Moore (Brighton and Hove High), who improved on last year's 43rd place with 27th.

Katy was one place ahead of fast-finishing Cheryl Heath (Hillcrest). Keely Gunn (Patcham) had her best run of the season for 54th and Sarah Garrett (Durrington) and Jasmine Heard (St Philip Howard, Arundel) completed the scoring six in 73rd and 81st respectively.

West (Chichester) was 22nd and Matthew Barrie (Blatchington Mill, Hove) 46th as they led the boys' junior (under-15s) team to sixth overall and third in their group.

The pair had run most of the season at under-13s so their performances augurs well for next year.

Bilham (Midhurst) made an improvement of 181 places from last year when he finished 13th at intermediate.

He had had a neck-and-neck battle in the Sussex Schools' Championships last month before losing out to Stephen Jules (Filsham Valley) .

But he tok revenge with Jules 30 seconds behind in 33rd place as Sussex finished ninth overall and third in the group.