Youngsters begin season

1:29pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

The Young Athletes League started last weekend for our highest ranked clubs Blackburn Harriers and Ribble Valley AC while Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle will have to wait another fortnight for their first taste of action.

Ribble Valley were breaking new ground, for after breezing through Northern Division 2 last year, the match at Sheepmount Stadium in Carlisle marked their debut in Northern Division 1 West.

They quickly discovered that the competition at this level is much more intense and they were fourth of four - although 238 points left them only 29 shy of third.

The pairing of Ian Yates and Joe Basquill gave them a maximum in the U17 boys 800 metres and the same athletes combined with Luke Kimberley and Sam Yates to win the 4x400m relay in a brisk 3:37.

There were a sprinkling of personal bests too with Lauren Westwell reducing hers by six seconds in the U13 girls 800m and Lucy Lennon winning the B race.

One step up, and Blackburn Harriers opened their second campaign in the Northern Premier League with a home tie at Witton Park, finishing a respectable third behind Liverpool Harriers and Leeds but comfortably clear of West Cheshire.

Oliver Aspden set the club's only Grade 1 Standard of the day by winning the U15 boys' 80m hurdles in 11.7 seconds while there were Grade 2s from the in-form Karl Billington and Holly Bleasdale.

Schools International Karl clocked 9:00.2 for an easy win in the U17 mens' 3000m, and Holly, the newly crowned county U17s heptathlon champion set hers in the 80m hurdles - although it was only good for second place.

She also set a G3 26.13m in the javelin as the U17 women shone. Abby Edmundson set G3s in the 300m hurdles and triple jump and Rebecca McIlroy made the grade in discus and shot.

The Harriers only double of the day came in the U15 girls' discus from Megan Searson and Rebecca West.

With both of our clubs facing each of their 15 opponents only once, the prospects for each will be somewhat clearer after the next round on May 18.