DESPITE his training being severely restricted due to working on an oil rig Skyrac athlete Roger Hunter has been selected to represent England in the punishing decathlon event.

The 27-year-old Shell drill engineer is now back on terra firma but has had little training. Nevertheless he pitched up at the North East championships and did so well that he was selected to wear the England vest in the Home Countries international at Connah's Quay in North Wales on September 6 and 7.

The former Benton Park pupil has represented his country previously and was indeed a star performer as a youth being a contemporary of top star Dean Macey. Whereas Macey at 17 decided to become a full time athlete Roger went off to university to gain a Masters Degree.

Little did he expect when he competed in the North East that he would do so well as to earn the right to represent his country once more.

He will take part in the senior men's decathlon against Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Roger, who is now based in Lowestoft, continues to represent Skyrac whenever he can and he is still coached by his father David.

Proud dad David said: "He does not get chance to train much but he is still proud to represent Skyrac whenever he can. He joined them as a youngster and he enjoys turning out for them."

Tartan Games

Many local athletes competed in the North East's leading open meeting of the season.

Local medallists were: Senior men, discus -1, Marcus Goldbourne (Pudsey and Bramley AC), 51.75m (Rec); 2, Matt Allison (Leeds City AC), 40.70m; javelin - 2, Allison (Leeds), 56.04m; shot - 1, Goldbourne (P&B), 15.93m (Rec); 3, Allison (Leeds), 12.55m.

Under-17 men, discus - 2, Andrew Staniland (Leeds City AC), 41.84m; 3, Ben Ambler (Bingley H & AC), 33.44m; javelin - 1, Staniland (Leeds), 45.07m; 2, Ambler (Bingley), 42.63m; shot - 1, Staniland (Leeds), 12.64m; 3, Ambler (Bingley), 11.18m.

Under-17 women, 800m - 2, Bethany Staniland (Leeds City AC), 2 mins.26.63s; long jump - 2, Staniland (Leeds), 4.95m; discus - 1, Emma Shaw (Leeds City AC), 33.31m; javelin - 1, Staniland (Leeds), 32.23m; shot - 1, Shaw (Leeds), 11.24m.

Woolley Memorial

The hottest weekend of the year so far saw several local athletes enjoying the opportunity to compete in conditions usually only associated with warm-weather training at such exotic locations as the Algarve or Florida. Instead Wrexham and Wakefield were the venues for some top class performances.

The Brian Woolley Memorial Wrexham Games always attracts some good competition, usually from Wales and the Merseyside clubs, and this year proved to be no exception at the Queensway International Stadium.

Horsforth's Bethany Staniland of Leeds City AC provided a rare Yorkshire face at the meeting and duly came home pleased with her efforts for two gold and one silver medal from the under-17 women's age group.

The Horsforth athlete's day began well with victory in the shot with 10.00m exactly. A throw of 32.29m gave her another victory in the javelin. She rounded off a hot day with second place in the 300m in the fine time of 42.7s.

W Yorkshire T and F

Bethany Staniland was back in action the next day at the final, and seventh, round of the West Yorkshire Track and Field League at Wakefield's Thornes Park Athletics Centre.

Victory in the under-17 women's discus (32.09m) was closely followed by a second place in the long jump (4.98m), behind Bingley Harriers' England Schools' combined events international, Rebecca Long, who jumped 5.27m.

Bethany's final event of the weekend saw the 15 year-old mult-eventer produce a pleasing 800m performance of 2.23.5s for another second place, again behind Rebecca (2.22.1).

With performances like these both Long and Staniland can look forward with some confidence to the English Schools AA Combined Events Championships in Sheffield at the end of September.

Here, as West Yorkshire Schools AA team-mates, along with Leeds City's Kirsty Parr and Wakefield's Nadia Bromley, they will start as favourites for the under-17 heptathlon national team title.

In the under-15 girls' 1500m there was another impressive performance from Menston St Mary's Jodie Gregorczyk of Leeds City AC. Leading the race all the way, she finished as a worthy winner in 5.09.6s.

In the under-15 boys' category, Yeadon's Alex Davy had a fine run for seventh place in the 1500m (5.01.7s).

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the age range Guiseley international veteran multi-eventer Tony Bowman (M65) got in some practice for his forthcoming decathlon with a 29.5s 200m for eighth position in the senior men's race.

Additionally there were other local successes from several Skyrac AC members. Those who came in the first six in their events and thus earned the last league points on offer were:-

U-15girls: Georgina Ablett; 1st discus (23.71m); 3rd 100m (13.7s); 3rd 200m (28.5s). Senior women: Fiona Thomas; 1st 100m (13.0s); 1st shot (10.05m); 2nd 200m (27.1s); 3rd long jump (4.43m). U-13 boys: James Ablett (Leeds Carnegie AC); 3rd= high jump (1.10m). Senior men: Darren Thomas; 1st high jump (1.60m); 2nd javelin (43.58m); Dave Lenton; 1st javelin (43.78m).

Final West Yorkshire Track and Field League team results and individual trophy winners (local teams only) were: Overall Women: Leeds City AC = 1st; U-11 girls Ind: G Christopher (Leeds Carnegie AC) = 3rd; U-11 girls team: Leeds Carnegie AC = 3rd; U-13 girls Ind: Jessica Dobson (Leeds City AC) = 1st, Hannah Evenden (Leeds City AC) = 3rd; U-13 girls team: Leeds City AC = 1st; U-15 girls Ind: Georgina Ablett (Skyrac AC) = 1st equal, Hannah Francis-Smithson (Leeds City AC) = 1st equal.

U-15 girls team: Leeds City AC = 1st; U-17 women Ind: Sheryl Punter (Leeds City AC) = 2nd; U-17 women team: Leeds City AC = 2nd ; Senior women Ind: Fiona Thomas (Skyrac AC) = 1st; Danni White (Skyrac AC) = 2nd; senior women team: Skyrac AC = 1st; Overall Men: Pudsey & Bramley AC = 1st; U-11 boys Ind: B Cook (P & B) = 2nd; U-11 boys team: Pudsey & Bramley AC = 2nd; U-13 boys Ind: Adam Timms (P & B) = 1st, Jack Murray (Skyrac AC) = 3rd; U-15 boys Ind: Umar Hameed (Leeds City AC) = 1st; U-15 boys Team: Leeds City AC = 1st; Andrew Staniland (Leeds City AC) = 2nd; senior men Ind: Darren Thomas (Skyrac AC) = 2nd; senior men Team: Skyrac AC = 2nd.

Bowman reaches new

heights

Leeds City AC veteran, Tony Bowman, who lives in Guiseley, is seriously contemplating taking on a decathlon in the near future - at the age of 67!

He got a bit of practice in at the final Northern Veterans League at Cleckheaton last week, and set three new club records in the process - for Over-65 shot (6.53m with a 5kg weight), high jump (1.25m) and pole vault (1.60m).

Does any other Yorkshire club have an Over-65 pole vault record?

Personal bests

Bethany Staniland set two personal bests at the Bank Holiday Monday Scunthorpe and District AC Open Meeting at the Quibbel Park Stadium.

Here, the 15 year-old Horsforth multi-eventer won the senior women's shot with 10.64m and then took the under -17 women's 300m in 42.3s. Additionally, she also won the under- 17 women's discus (32.39m).

Ilkley Harriers

In Monday's short Hebden Gala fell race, Neil Chapman ran 15:20 and Bernie Connor 18:40.

The previous day, Ilkley had runners in both races at the Burnsall Feast. In the ten mile road race (won by Otley's Ian Fisher in 54:11) Billy Kerr was 16th in 63:23; Neil Chapman 23rd in 66:37; and Ewan Welsh 33rd in 67:52 - giving Ilkley fourth team prize.

In the Burnsall Feast Classic fell race over 1.5miles but with 900ft of climb Ilkley had 16th Nick Pearce 17.47 1st Vet50; 38th Morgan Williams 20.32; 45th Dennis Ackroyd

21.43 - giving them seventh team. In the ladies' race Alison Crane was 2nd (1st V40) in 19.23.

In the Lomond to Fife fell race over nine miles, Ilkley Harrier Andrea Priestley was 14th overall and first lady - just 40 seconds outside the 15 year old record.

The weekend before, Nick Pearce ran in the Brecon Beacons fell race, 19 miles with 4500ft of ascent.

Nick was second Vet-50 (34th overall) in 3h06. This was the final race in the British Fell Championships and Ilkley believe Nick's run was good enough to move him up to fourth position overall.

In the Gargrave Show fell race Norman Bush was 21st in 27:41.

Ilkley Harriers is a friendly running club, training from Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club every Tuesday at 7pm - see www.ilkleyharriers.co.uk for more information.