JENNI PEREIRA, of Medway & Maidstone AC, has been unbeaten for seven years in the Kent Cross-Country Championships at Wildernesse School, Sevenoaks.

Her series began in 2000 with victory in the under-15 race followed by two titles at under-17 and three at under-20.

Now aged 20 and enjoying an athletics scholarship at Butler University, Indianapolis, the 2005 European Junior team silver medallist and GB international was in no mood to break the sequence on her senior debut.

The early leader was former UK 10,000m champion, Louise Watson (Medway & Maidstone) who tried everything she knew to break Pereira before the decisive final lap.

An attack through the woodland section and a nimble clearance of the fallen tree hazard was enough for Pereira to claim the gold from Watson with Meredith Pannett (Tonbridge) always a threat in the bronze medal position.

With support from Jenny Harnett (4th), Emma Harraden (11th) and Helcha Simkova (12th), the Medway & Maidstone squad matched the men’s team’s successes by taking both three and six-to-score categories from Blackheath & Bromley with Invicta East Kent home for the bronze.