EAST Lancashire clubs amassed a mammoth total of 81 individual medals at last weekend’s county track and field championships at a very windy Stanley Park.
It proved a special two days for Blackburn Harriers, Pendle and Hyndburn, the three clubs sharing 25 gold medals, while Chorley picked up two and Ribble Valley one.
Among the stars of the show were Pendle twosome Leah Hillman and Helena Leathley, the only athletes to chalk up three gold medals in individual events in Blackpool.
Barrowford’s Hillman, 12, has become one of England’s top javelin throwers in the past year and, on Saturday, she launched a championship best of 33.48.
It beat her previous best of 31.94m from last September and shattered a Pendle club record in the U15 category, eclipising Nicola Alcock’s 32.12m that had stood since 1990.
Hillman, a pupil at Colne’s Park High School and coached by Derek Underwood, capped off a brilliant display by picking up two more golds in the U15 girls’ discus and shot putt.
Records kept tumbling for Pendle on the Lancashire coast, as Leathley set a new time of 7.34.1 in the 2,000m steeplechase.
The superb 17-year-old also went on to enjoy two further victories, in the 1,500m and triple jump.
Underwood, the throwing coach at Pendle, saw another of his young gems, Zachary Child, break a club record in the U20 men’s javelin, as he threw 47.06 metres, while junior Gregan Baker saw his effort of 27.14m take javelin gold in the U13 boys event.
Baker has already earned a place in his club’s record books with a throw of 28.99m at the Trafford Medal meet.
Pendle’s Alan Plumb also took gold in the senior men’s shot putt at Blackpool.
Blackburn Harriers were the big winners at Blackpool, chalking up 12 individual gold medals overall, as well as five silver and eight bronze.
Top-class hurdler Oliver Aspden, 18, is returning to his best form after a bad Achilles injury curtailed his 2011 season, and he picked up two gold medals at Stanley Park in emphatic style, taking the 400m and 110m hurdles events.
Long-distance starlet Elizabeth Grenwood was also a double winner, proving her class in the 1,500m and 3,000m races.
Other wins for Harriers came in the shape of Rebecca Orrell, very impressive in throwing 29.03 to take the U15 hammer, Connor Makin (U17, 400m hurdles), Luke Evans (200m), Jake Almond (U15, 300m), Jack Jameson (U15, 80m hurdles), Joseph Pearse (U17, high jump), Karl Billington (senior, 5000m) and brother Nathan Billington (U15, discus).
The Billington siblings picked up a total haul of six medals over the weekend, as Nathan also won silver in the discus and shot putt, which was also a PB, while Karl took silver in the 1500m and another gold in the 5000m team race.
Hyndburn came away with 17 medals at the championships, including three gold, four silver and 10 bronze.
Hasnain Ehsan had a fantastic weekend for the club taking five medals, the most by any individual, in the U15 boys categories.
On Saturday, Ehsan took bronze in the high jump, gold in the triple jump with 10.81m and finished third in the final of the 100m.
On Sunday, he followed this up with a silver in the long jump and third in the 200m final.
Other gold medals for Hyndburn came from the senior men’s relay team of Jason Conchie, Russell Race, Josh Blysnuik and Stephen Sumner, and Heidi Hamshere in the U20 women’s shot putt.
Pendle’s other gold winners were Eleanor Markendale (senior, long jump) and Joe Lonsdale (U13, 100m).
Chorley ace Luke Betts took two golds, in the U20 800m and 1500m, while Amelia Wood was the winner for Ribble Valley in the U17 1500m.
Lancashire Track and Field Championship 2012 medallists
GOLD
Gregan Baker (Pendle) U13 Boys javelin; Elizabeth Greenwood (Blackburn H) U15 girls 3000m; U15 girls 1500m; Leah Hillman (Pendle) U15 girls shot putt; U15 girls discus; U15 girls javelin; Rebecca Orrell (Blackburn H) U15 girls hammer; Connor Makin (Blackburn H) U17 men 400m hurdles; Luke Betts (Chorley AC) U20 men 800m; U20 men 1500m; Oliver Aspden (Blackburn H) U20 men 400m hurdles; U20 men 110m hurdles; Zachary Child (Pendle) U20 men javelin; Helena Leathley (Pendle) U20 women 2000m steeplechase; U20 women triple jump; U20 women 1500m; Heidi Hamshere (Hyndburn) U20 women shot putt; Luke Evans (Blackburn H) Senior men 200m; Joe Lonsdale (Pendle) U13 boys 100m; Jake Almond (Blackburn H) U15 boys 300m; Jack Jameson (Blackburn H) U15 boys 80m hurdles; Hashain Ehsan (Hyndburn) U15 boys triple jump; Nathan Billington (Blackburn H) U15 boys discus; Joseph Pearse (Blackburn H) U17 men high jump; Amelia Wood (Ribble Valley) U17 women 1500m; Karl Billington (Blackburn H) Senior men 5000m; Alan Plumb (Pendle) Senior men shot putt; Eleanor Markendale (Pendle) Senior women long jump
SILVER
Joe Lonsdale (Pendle) U13 Boys 200m; Jack Wilkinson (Blackburn H) U13 Boys javelin; Alexa McTiffin (Hyndburn) U13 girls 800m; Hashain Ehsan (Hyndburn) U15 boys long jump; Joseph Pearse (Blackburn H) U17 men 400m hurdles; U17 men 100m hurdles; Elizabeth Longshaw (Rossendale H) U17 women 200m; Ryan Sciacca (Chorley) U20 men 800m; Elliott Wylie (Rossendale H) U20 men 2000m steeplechase; Kieron Monaghan (Blackburn H) U20 men 400m hurdles; James Blackburn (Pendle) U20 men long jump; Eve Parkinson (Hyndburn) U20 women discus; Abby-Leigh Edmundson (Blackburn H) Senior women triple jump; Senior women long jump; Sarah Longshaw (Rossendale H) U13 girls 1500m; Lydia Stanfield (Burnley) U13 girls javelin; Nathan Billington (Blackburn H) U15 boys shot putt; U15 boys discus; Neng Wildman (Pendle) U17 men 100m; James Blackburn (Pendle) U20 men triple jump; Amy Bristow (Ribble Valley) U20 women 400m; Jayne Ashe (Ribble Valley) U20 women 1500m; Karl Billington (Blackburn H) Senior men 1500m; Chris Fell (Rossendale H) Senior men 5000m; Emma Flanagan (Rossendale H) Senior women 1500m; Eleanor Markendale (Pendle) Senior women javelin
BRONZE
Leon Stubbs (Burnley) U13 Boys 200m; Jenny Gray (Blackburn H) U13 Girls 200m; Sarah Longshaw (Rossendale H) U13 girls 800m; Esme Pearse (Blackburn H) U13 girls discus; Hashain Ehsan (Hyndburn) U15 boys 200m; U15 boys 100m; U15 boys high jump; Phoebe Howe (Blackburn H) U15 girls 800m; Neng Wildman (Pendle) U17 men 200m; Elizabeth Longshaw (Rossendale H) U17 women 200m; Rebecca Flanagan (Rossendale H) U17 women 3000m; Holly Ballantyne (Blackburn H) U17 women 300m hurdles; Josh Blysniuk (Hyndburn) U20 men javelin; Heidi Hamshere (Hyndburn) U20 women discus; Jason Conchie (Hyndburn) Senior men 800m; Michael Carr (Blackburn H) Senior men 400m hurdles; Elizabeth Ashcroft (Blackburn H) U13 girls 70m hurdles; U13 girls long jump; Connor Richardson (Rossendale H) U15 boys 300m; Connor Johnson (Hyndburn) U15 boys shot putt; Charlott Bolton (Hyndburn) U15 girls 100m; Grace Handley (Blackburn H) U15 girls 1500m; Polly Pearse (Blackburn H) U15 girls 75m hurdles; Chloe Law (Rossendale H) U17 women javelin; Rachel Leech (Blackburn H) U20 women 400m; Stephen Sumner (Hyndburn) Senior men 100m; Alan Plumb (Pendle) Senior men hammer; Sarah Yeomans (Rossendale H) Senior women 1500m
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