Sophie Hitchon has broken her own UK Under-17 hammer record when winning the gold medal at the UK School Games.

The 16-year old from Pendle Athletic Club set a new distance of 54.56 metres in her second throw of a consistent series where all six efforts exceeded 51 metres.

Hitchon first broke Frances Miller's six-year-old record of 48.94m earlier in the summer, and has upped the distance several times since. She set her previous mark of 54.38m at the North of England U20 Championships in June.

With none of her competitors having exceeded Miller's mark, she is now around six metres clear of all the domestic competition.

Hitchon also heads this year's rankings in the Under-20s, although the UK U20 record set by Rachael Beverley in 1998 with 57.97m is still out of reach.

Last weekend's effort lifted her one place to 11th in the UK U20 all- time list, the same position she holds in the 2007 senior rankings.

Hitchon is now competing for the Northern U20 Team in a regional match at Copthall Hendon this Sunday.

l The UK School Games is a competition for athletes in the U17 age group competing as members of one of the 12 regional teams.

It took place at the Warwick University facility in Coventry and was a massive event with 1300 competitors embracing eight sports.

Heroes Daley Thompson, Dame Kelly Holmes and Tanni Grey-Thompson were there to support the athletes, including the four from our region who were included in the North West team.

Pendle's Stacey Cook was 11th in the women's shot with a longest putt of 9.59 metres and there were bronze medals on the track for Ribble Valley duo Leigh Lennon and Robbie Schofield.

The pair had both been selected for the 800m after winning medals at English Schools' and they were on target again. In the men's race, Schofield logged 1hr 56m 25, while Lennon lowered her personal best from 2:11.29 to 2:09.97 in the women's contest.

She was given an identical time to silver medallist Gemma Cormack as she was denied by the thickness of a vest. Her consolation was a second bronze medal in the 4x300m relay where she ran the fastest split in the North West team.

Now Lennon is hoping that her first sub 2:10 time will be rewarded with an invitation to join the Kelly Holmes-backed On Camp with Kelly' squad next season.