Six local young athletes set out today, Thursday, for the English Schools' Athletics Championships at the Harvey Hadden Stadium in Nottingham.

These championships, the third largest in the world behind the Olympic and Asian Games, take place on Friday and Saturday.

Four of the youngsters are Skyrac AC members and are all in the intermediate age group (under 17). They qualified for this event with excellent performances at the West Yorkshire Schools' Championships at Cleckheaton in mid June.

For the girls, Amy Howard (Benton Park School) contests the discus (PB of 35.50m) and Laura Kirk (Guiseley School) goes in the 800m (PB of 2 mins.16.3s).

For the boys, Andrew Staniland (Leeds GS) will compete in the long jump (PB of 6.42m) and Damien Hines will putt the shot (PB of 13.28m). Amy, Andrew and Laura are remarkably all in their first year in this age group.

Two other local discus throwers join them at Nottingham. Horsforth's Bethany Staniland (The Girls' Grammar School, Bradford) throws in the junior girls' (under-15) category (PB of 29.12m) and Lewis Williamson of Woodhouse Grove School does the same but in the intermediate boys' event.

Skyrac juniors

Skyrac results from the Young Athletes League (Girls) North Central Two Division (AAA Grade 4 Standards or above) were:

Under-17, 800m: Laura Kirk, first A - 2.22.5s; 300m hurdles: Amy Howard, first A - 51.6s; high jump: Laura Kirk, first A - 1.45m; long jump: Emma Smith, first A - 4.56m; discus: Amy Howard, first A - 31.67m.

Under-15, 200m: Sarah Whitehead, third A - 29.1s; 800m: Gabby Rowell, 1st A - 2.29.3s; 800m: Katie Edmondson, 1st B - 2.32.2s; high jump: Paula Forster, first A - 1.36m.

Under-13 - 75m: Grace Chattaway, first A - 11.2s; 800m: Eleanor Hall, first A - 2.40.4s; 800m: Sarah Shaw, first B - 2.56.2s; 1200m: Elizabeth Hall, first A - 4.13.6s; 1200m: Rebecca Hall, second B - 4.26.6s; 70m hurdles: Elizabeth Hall, third A - 14.5s; high jump: Sarah Shaw, second A - 1.25m; discus: Lucy Foxall, third A - 15.39m; shot: Grace Chattaway, first A - 5.80m

Skyrac Results from the Young Athletes League (Boys) North West Division One (AAA Grade 4 Standards or above):

Under-17 - 1500m: Nick Howard, first A - 4.33.7s; discus: Damien Hines, first A - 41.82m; hammer: Damien Hines, second B - 31.50m; shot: Damien Hines, first A - 12.77m

Under-15 - 100m: Nick Dex, second A - 13.0s; 200m: Nick Dex, fourth A - 26.1s; discus: James Murray, third A - 24.37m.

Under-13 - 100m: Jack Murray, first A - 14.9s; 100m: Ryan McFarlane, first B - 14.9s; 1500m: Alex McFarlane, third A - 5.20.0s; shot: Jack Murray, fourth A - 6.36m.

North East Schools

A windy, and then very wet, Monkton Stadium in Jarrow was the scene for the North East Schools' AA Combined Events Championships.

Three local athletes were part of a very successful West Yorkshire Schools' contingent, each enjoying tremendous individual success.

Horsforth's Bethany Staniland, of The Girls' Grammar School, Bradford, and Kingston upon Hull AC, came third in the U-15 pentathlon with a personal best score of 2,630 points. She achieved this AAA Grade One standard with 13.6s in the 75m Hurdles, 10.01m in the shot (3.25kg), 1.27m in the high jump, 4.90m in the long jump and 2 mins.31.2s in the 800m.

Bethany was part of a very successful and victorious West Yorkshire U-15 girls' team as Kirsty Parr (Leeds City AC and Wetherby HS) won the event with 2,731 points, Ashley Little (Leeds City AC and Garforth Community College) came second with 2,720 points and Bingley Harriers' Emily Noble finished in seventh place with 2,385 points.

All four West Yorkshire girls will now represent their county and the North East at the English Schools' Combined Events Championships at Derby's Moorways Stadium in mid September.

Bethany's 15 year-old brother, Andrew Staniland (Leeds GS and Skyrac AC) competed over both days of the same championships but in the U-17 octathlon. After the first day's four events, he found himself in third place. This was achieved with 6.07m in the long jump, 34.22m in the discus (1.5kg), 40.53m in the javelin (700g) and 56.9s in the 400m. The second day's four events took place in incredibly poor weather but, nevertheless, Andrew continued to perform well in the conditions. He ran 15.6s in the 100m hurdles, high jumped 1.69m, putt the shot (5kg) a distance of 11.34m and finished off with a struggle in the 1500m with 5mins.26.0s. As a result he finished in the individual fourth position with 4,245 points, only 30 points below his personal best. However, this was enough for qualification for the national championships at Derby.

Also Derby bound is Skyrac's Fraser Davies, also of Guiseley School. He came an excellent individual second in the U-15 boys' pentathlon. He finished with 2,619 points, an AAA Grade One standard.

A magnificent leap of 1.75m in the high jump gave him a major points boost in this age group, but he also produced top class performances in his four other events: long jump (5.60m); 80m hurdles (13.1s); 4kg shot (11.19m); and 800m (2 mins.23.3s).

Trafford Grand Prix

At the latest Trafford Grand Prix meeting at Stretford's Longford Park Stadium, there were again two fine performances from Horsforth's Spencer siblings (Holmfirth Harriers).

In the Open 800m A race, under- 20 man Robert Spencer was placed fourth with 2 mins.01.31s. His younger sister, Elizabeth, recorded the fine time of 10 mins.35.83s for 19th place in the Open 3000m B race. However, she was the highest placed under-20 woman.

Leeds Schools Final

There were some impressive performances from the intermediate girls (years 9 and 10) of Guiseley School at the final of the Leeds Schools' Athletics League at South Leeds Stadium.

With victories in all but one of the track events, and in two field events, they comfortably won the league title.

Several of the successful team are also members of Skyrac AC and the club is fortunate to have such a group of talented girls on its doorstep. Their results were

100m: Hayley Roberts, 1st, 12.9s (Record); 200m: Sarah Whitehead, 1st, 28.3s; 300m: Paula Forster, 1st 45.9s; 800m: Laura Kirk, 1st, 2 mins.19.9s (Record); 1500m: Rosanne Olley, 2nd, 5 mins.40.4s; 80m hurdles: Emma Moutrie, 1st, 13.4s; 4x100m Relay: 1st, 52.5s (Record); high jump: Laura Kirk, 1st, 1.44m; triple jump: Emma Moutrie, 1st, 10.73m (Record); shot: Hayley Roberts, 3rd, 7.21m; long jump: Paula Forster, 3rd, 4.04m

In the same age group two Skyrac members from Benton Park School also had a successful final. Amy Howard was outstanding in the discus, setting a new league record with 34.66m. She was also second in the 200m in 28.8s. Faye McKenzie won the long jump (4.14m) and came second in the 100m (13.2s).

Guiseley School's junior girls (years 7&8) also won the league final. Here three Skyrac athletes contributed towards their success. Mary Stead won the long jump with 4.10m and then came second in the 100m in 14.0s. Lucy Foxall produced a fine run to win the 800m (2 mins.46.3s) and went on to leap 1.25m for second place in the high jump. Lindsay Clark ran 5 mins.45.0s for second place in the 1500m.

Just as Guiseley School took both female league titles, Leeds GS did the same for the boys at junior and intermediate levels.

In this latter age group, Andrew Staniland, also of Skyrac AC, was in top form and set two new league records. A magnificent throw of 42.46m was achieved in the discus and then he ran 12.0s over the 80m hurdles. He finished off with the third leg of the 4 x 100m relay, which the Grammar School won in a new league record of 48.4s. Menston's Richard Ettenfield (Leeds City AC) was a successful part of this winning team and he gained first place in the javelin (32.92m) and second position in the 200m (25.0s).

Skyrac teammate, Fraser Davies (Guiseley School), produced two excellent performances in the same age group. A personal best of 12.6s saw him finish second in the 80m hurdles and 1.65m achieved the same in the high jump.