England call-up delights Waldron

Sarah Waldron (1289) is looking to further her senior England career

Herefordshire's Sarah Waldron will win her second England senior vest when she races in an international cross country event in Spain this weekend.

Waldron told BBC Hereford and Worcester it would make up for the disappointment of missing out on selection for the European Under-23 Championships.

"It didn't work out quite as I had wanted, although I was first reserve.

"But these things make you stronger and hopefully I can use that to my advantage in the future," she said.

This was the third year in which Waldron had missed out on a place in the Great Britain team for the under-23 championships by a single place.

The disappointment was partly offset by her call-up for the England senior team to travel to Spain.

"That's a really big boost for me," she said. "Being able to compete again for the seniors shows that I have got the potential to progress from junior to senior level.

"I'm really excited about that race as I raced there three years ago as a junior.

"It's quite an exciting course as it starts and finishes on the track and is quite undulating," she added.

Waldron is in the final year of her degree at Birmingham University, but she remains confident that she can balance her academic commitments with her athletics.

"Unfortunately they are piling on the work at the moment but I want to be a top athlete and I want to get a good degree," she said.

"I think it's about getting a balance and, as much as I really want to get a good degree, I also want to be training and racing well, so hopefully I can do both."