PHIL Vickers produced a fast personal best 23.7 to win the Under-17s 200m sprint to lead his Blackburn Harriers team to a pleasing but unexpected second place in the first young athletes fixture of the season at Bolton on Sunday.

They defeated Oldham and Stockport in the process to place them in the top third in the final league.

Phil was backed up on the sprints by fellow schoolmate Martin O'Connor and John Paul Clements. Phil went on to win the 100m with John Paul second in the B race. John won the 100m hurdles with Phil and Martin second in the long and triple jumps.

In the 1500m there was a great double by Michael Hamer and Tom Holt with further points from them in the 400 and 800. Martin Howarth backed them up in the 800 and 3000m and discus. Brad Henderson was invaluable, setting records in the high, triple and long jump.

The Under-15s was led by Andrew Lake and David Green, Andrew's versatility winning the pole vault in 1.90, the B high jump and second in the 80m hurdles. David won the A high jump with a PB of 1.60 and won the B 80m hurdles and javelin. In the sprints, Michael Floyd won the 200m in 26.3, beaten in the 100 by team-mate Ono Odudu with a fast 12.6. Ono got a second in the long jump, backed up by Andrew Hacking in that event and the 600m. Brother John Hacking and Neil Dewhurst got seconds in the hammer.

Newcomer Gerard McIlroy won the B pole vault and was second in the discus. Ian Clement, again new for the Harriers, won the B shot and second in the discus. The sprint relay team of Lake, Green, Floyd and Odudu won their race in great style.

Finally the Under-13s came up trumps again. Matthew Wood won the 100 in 13.8 with newcomer, 11 year old Jolyon Lowe second in 13.9. The Entwistle brothers both ran well with Robert second in the 1500m and Sam second in the 800m and third in the shot, a brilliant finale in the 4x100 with a win by Morgan, Entwistle, Lowe and Wood in 59.2.

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