KATIE Ingram has been selected for the England Team which will contest the Knockdhu Home Countries Fell International in Northern Ireland on May11.

The Chorley Harrier sealed her place after winning the opening race in this year's English Junior Championship at West Nab near Huddersfield on Saturday.

Selection for Ireland is another step up the ladder for Katie who will be representing the under 20s even though she is only in her first season as an under 18.

She will be fully committed to the fells after missing all last year because of the foot and mouth crisis.

She has already won the English titles at under14 and under16 level and is intending to contest all the Championship races. Her ultimate goal is to represent her country at the World Trophy in Austria.

Although two of her rivals Helen Glover and Rebecca Cronshaw were absent, it was a remarkable performance to win by two minutes, especially as she had taken the wrong shoes to the race!

In the under18s, the race distance is considerably increased - this was four miles - and she thinks it will suit her even though she admitted to tiredness in the latter stages.

Meanwhile, Burnley's Danielle Walker made her Championship bow taking second in the under 14 event, a brave run considering she had spent three days in bed with tonsillitis.

The other locals to score Championship points were Nat Lawton of Chorley AC who was fifth under 18, Blackburn Harrier Michael Hammer who took sixth in the over 20s, and Philip Bacon of Pendle and Andrew Thompson from Chorley Harriers who were the seventh finishers in the under 12s and under 14s.

One absentee from Knockdhu will be Welsh Veteran International Russell Owen.

The Darwen Dasher emphasised his form with third in the nine mile long Moelwyn Fell Race on Saturday but will miss the trip to Ireland in favour of completing his masters dissertation.