CATHERINE Riley of Park High School is still only 14 years old but found herself competing in the under 17 bracket at the AAA indoor championships.

She drew a tough heat in the 800 metres but ran a fine race to qualify for the final in second spot with a fast clocking of two minutes 23.05 seconds.

In the final she was back in fifth place with less than a lap to go. At 150 metres from home she made a move and was soon up in third place. A final spurt brought her through to second almost on the line with a time of two minutes 20.43 seconds which equates to her personal best outdoor clocking.

The winner, Karlen Tromans of Birchfield won the B final at last year's championships and was less than two seconds faster than Catherine this time. She is at the top of the age group so we can surely expect a great future for Catherine who still have two years to go in the same bracket.

Her team mates from Park, Natalie Edworthy and Sarah Walker ran in different heats of under 15s 800.

Both were unnerved by the occasion but Natalie managed a fourth place and Sarah fifth and it will be much easier next time when the nerves have worn off. Aaron Wilson of Hyndburn was in a class of his own in the under 15s boys 800 final at the same meeting.

He won the title, which is a splendid achievement but only had to clock two minutes 18.05 seconds to do so, which is nowhere near the time he is capable of doing.

However, he did what was needed to win and the times will come when he needs them.

He is a fine all round athlete and moved over from the track to take third place bronze in the under 15s shot.

Another young Hyndburn athlete, Charlene Halliday is in her first year in the under 15s group but did well to reach the final, again in the 800 metres, and place sixth in an older and more experienced field.

Rebecca White of Blackburn Harriers is spending the winter preparing to move up to 400 metres competition in the approaching outdoor track season.

Her preparations are going well. In her heat in the AAA junior ladies championships she placed second, narrowly beaten by Lesley Owusu of Windsor Slough and Eton, the eventual winning finalist.

In the heat Rebecca led at one time and clocked a fantastic 56.93 seconds which is the fifth best indoors by a British junior this winter.

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