HORSFORTH'S 19 year-old Andrew Staniland has been selected for the England Under-20 team to compete in the long jump against the senior teams from Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The match will be held at the Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff on February 5.

Andrew, who is now a member of the British Athletics League Dvision One club, Sale Harriers, is currently in his first year studying for a degree in Human Biology at Loughborough University.

Andrew won the U-20 men's long jump at the North of England Indoor Championships at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield.

He jumped 7.17m to set a new Championship Best Performance, twice breaking the previous best of 7.05m set by British record holder Chris Tomlinson in 1999.

The 7.17m was his first jump of the competition. He then had run-up problems, typical for this time of year, before finishing with a 7.10m jump which would also have been a CBP.

This will give Staniland a terrific boost ahead of his appearance for the England U-20 team at the home international where he will line-up alongside fellow Loughborough student Kieran Flannery.

Staniland has also been selected to be part of the World Class Development Programme funded by Sport England to help him and other athletes spearhead the pursuit of home successes at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

His sister Bethany, who has just had a very lengthy lay off with a stress fracture of the foot (nine weeks off) and then ankle ligament damage (seven weeks off), returned to competition at this same meeting.

She ran in both the U-20 women's 100m and 200m and although she did not make either final, it was a start - not bad after only three weeks training.

She came fourth in the U-20 women's shot putt with 11.43m.

Skyrac Athletic Club

IT'S the girls from Skyrac AC who are leading the challenge for places in the English Schools' Cross-Country Championships.

Competing at the first level in the Leeds Schools' Championships Alicia Jeavons is leading the series in the U-11 girls' section and cannot be beaten. She notched her fourth successive win.

Rebecca Harrison leads the U-14 girls section with three wins and in Saturday's junior girls' race (U-13 and U-14) she was second overall winning the U-14 group. Jemima Edwards was sixth, Holly Bovan 7th and Rachel May, an U-13, was 8th with Bethany Harrison 12th. All these girls are in contention for the England Schools' race.

In the boys' races Jason Black was eighth thus qualifying for the West Yorkshire trials while Laura Griggs was another West Yorkshire qualifier finishing 7th in the intermediate girls.

In the Yorkshire Championships at Rotherham on a strength sapping course Harriet Middleborough was 13th in the U-13s which gained her a reserve position for the Inter-Counties event at Nottingham.

At U-15, a year under age, Rebecca Harrison was 40th with Laura Briggs just behind her. In the senior ladies Lisa Dent was 13th and Steph Houghton, returning to the championships after eight years when she won as a 13 year-old, was 30th.

Nick Howard travelled from University in Birmingham to finish 70th in the senior race, being just a few days over the junior limit.

Ilkley Harriers

There was a good turnout of Ilkley Harriers for the first fell counter in the Harriers Running League - the Stanbury Splash over the moors above Haworth.

Bingley's Ian Holmes was first by some way in 41:53.

Harriers results were: 15, Stefan Macina 47.46; 16, Graham Pearce 47.55; 21, Jason Hemsley 48.34; 34, Jim Ryder 49.27; 47, Lawrence Basham 51.44; 55, Richard Joel 52.27; 63, Mark Iley 52.48; 66, Nick Richardson 53.02; 95 ,Emma Barclay 56.25; 118, Morgan Williams 58.07; 127, Neil Chapman 58.43; 137, Peter Shields 59.43; 141, Mark Williams 59.56; 151, Ian Cliffe 60.52; 167, Keith Wood 62.10; 217, John Coates 65.23; 255, Jemma Basham 71.50

In the U-8 race Ben Cheetham (running in his new Ilkley vest for the first time) won the race in 2.44 with Logan Hargreaves-Madhas in 25th place in 4.50. In the one mile race Josh Crane was fifth overall and first U-12 boy in 7.19; Alex Smith was 12th and fourth U-12 boy in 8.06; Sam Wood was 25th in 8.43 and Odin Hargreaves-Madhas 34th in 9.27. In the two mile race Nevada Hargreaves-Madhas was second boy in 18.39.

The Brass Monkey Half Marathon is always popular, and those Harriers who managed to get in this year enjoyed a well-organised race and all got PBs. Sally Malir was 133rd overall in 1:25:45 - 4th L40. Andy Wiggans just beat her in 119th in 1:24:44. Andrew Herbert came in 361st with 1:37:43. Pete Bedwell was 497th in 1h43.38 and Richard Midgley came home in 934th place in 2:13:47

Andy Wolfenden and new Harrier Gerard Downes went to Helsby in Cheshire for the Shell Four Villages Half Marathon, Gerard was 599th in 1hr 39m 39s and Andy 748th in 1hr 42m 58s.

Otley Athletic Club

Ian Fisher recorded a new personal best and course record when finishing first ahead of 980 finishers in Sunday's York Half Marathon. Ian recorded a fabulous time of 66.09.

Other notable times for Otley AC members included personal bests for both Hugh Pearson 86.01 (135th position) and Mark Blagg 102.14 (464th).

Also finishing well were Julian Mawson 74.06 (12th), John Kelly 89.57 (197th), Carl Walsh 90.02 (198th), Howard Jeffrey 96.25 (330th), Helen Walsh 99.04 (392nd), David Fox 102.26 (469th), Kevin Cooney 103.47 (503rd), Antonio Cardinale 105.54 (568th), David Cattanach 110.09 (626th) and Graham Stead 117.05 (762nd).

Also on Sunday morning across the fells above Haworth, the Stanbury Splash took place. Matt Cox finished tenth and Andrew Robertshaw 13th and positions are yet to be confirmed for Don Buffham and Phil.

This Saturday Otley AC have ladies' and men's teams entered for the North of England Cross- Country Championships at Blackburn. Meet at Otley RUFC respectively at 10.15am and 11.30am.

The club Presentation Night takes place at Korks on Friday, February 10, and suitable payment should be handed to Carl Walsh or another committee member at the earliest opportunity.

Otherwise training is as normal from Otley RU.C both tonight and next Tuesday commencing 7.15pm.