BLACKBURN Harriers kicked off their bid for a fourth successive Division One title in the North of England Track and Field League with second place behind City of Manchester Athletic Club.

Competing at Stanley Park in Blackpool, they were 17 points behind their rivals, but their one-point advantage over third-placed Preston Harriers could prove to be even more significant come the end of the season.

The Northern League is for the senior athletes and the throwers scored heavily for the women as Sarah Henton won the discus by nearly 10 metres with 38.97m and Holly Bleasdale took victory in the shot – albeit with a mere five centimetres in hand.

The club’s men took the 4x400m relay with Paul Bradshaw, Chris Matthews, Luke Evans and Jamie Vickery.

Three of them had individual ‘A’ string wins to their credit too and Matthews took the ‘B’ 400m.

Evans won out in the 200m, but just missed by a hundredth in the 100m, while Bradshaw scored with 1:54.5 in the 800m and Vickery’s success came with 40.37 in the hammer.

After promotion last summer, the combined Burnley/Pendle team is finding life more difficult in the Second Division, finishing last of six at Cleckheaton although with a points score of 210.5.

Marc Hartley was a comfortable winner in the 3000m steeplechase and Alan Plumb backed Leeroy Golding in the discus and John Edwards in the hammer to be first ‘B’ in both events.

Star for the women was Helena Leathley who won the 400m hurdles by a nose.

Hyndburn AC and Chorley AC are once again pitted against each other in the Fourth Division, and Hyndburn look set to be in the promotion frame after a first day third at Oldham.

Chorley’s score was restricted by the small size of their squad, but between them they mustered 13 personal bests and three ‘A’ wins.

Blackburn Harriers were runners up in the first round of the National Junior League at Witton Park.

In this series for U20 athletes, they compete in the Northern Mersey Division and it was Liverpool Harriers who won the day on 455 points with Blackburn second of seven clubs with 439.

Some athletes from other clubs who don’t compete in this league have signed for the Harriers and two of them – James Blackburn and Zac Child from Pendle – were winners.