Athletics: A class field assembled for the third race in the West York-shire Cross-Country League at Nunroyd Park, Guiseley.

The three-lap 10km course was very muddy after being saturated by overnight rain, and the athletes also had to face an icy wind.

The early leading group consisted of Bradford Airedale's Richard Findlow, Dave Watson of Holmfirth and a Bingley Harriers quartet of Steve Hawkins, Steve Green, John Taylor and John Convery, with Otley's Ian Fisher also prominent.

By the start of the final lap, it was obvious the race was between Findlow and Hawkins, and the 32-year-old Bradford Airedaler pushed on to win by 15 seconds.

Fisher showed his strength and continuation of his splendid recent form by charging through to take third place, ahead of Watson.

Green who had flu over the Christmas period, should be well pleased with fifth place, in his first race since his 12th place in the Monaco Marathon in November. He led home team-mate and fell running international Taylor and non-scoring new recruit Convery.

Pudsey and Bramley fell specialist Shane Green had a solid run for tenth, ahead of Bingley's Stuart McDonald.

Baildon's Quentin Lewis continues to impress. He finished 14th, a place and three seconds head of former British fell running champion Gary Devine (Pudsey and Bramley).

There was an intriguing contest between Ilkley pair Jason Hemsley and Malcolm Pickering, who ran shoulder to shoulder for most of the race.

Veteran Pickering was obviously inspired by the news that his wife is expecting twins in June.

Hemsley, despite running the gruelling Boulsworth Fell Race 24 hours earlier, just edged out his team-mate, and the pair were separated by Keighley and Craven track star Adrian Jones.

Findlow intends to run the fourth and final championship race next month. After winning the first event, he is now odds-on favourite for the title, which will act as a confidence booster as his main aim is the 'National' at Newark in March.

There were several notable absentees in the women's section, where Pudsey and Bramley's Ann Buckley proved the class act, winning impressively by a minute-and-a-half from Leeds University junior Lois Joslyn.

Jean Shotter (Pudsey and Bramley) took third, and Skipton youngster Sara Dugdale held off Bingley veteran Sue Carriss by five seconds, with Andrea Dennison (Bradford Airedale) 12 seconds adrift in sixth.

In the preceding junior races, Holmfirth's Natalie White was a clear winner in the under-17 race, and Grace Bendle and Rachel Smith led Bingley home in the under-15 girls race.

The Woodkirk 10km road race was won by Longwood's Michael Pearson.

Conditions were against any fast times, as the winner's 33min 3sec shows, but Pearson was still almost two minutes clear of second placed Bob Duncan (Nestle Rowntree).

Monique Hollinshead of Morley took the women's title.

Pudsey Pacers' Melanie Siddall was first over-35 veteran, and Dewsbury-based Maggie Adam-son (St Bede's) took the honours in the over-40 category.-

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.