COMMONWEALTH Games finalist Kerry Gillibrand was the guest of honour at Pendle Athletic Club's presentation evening on Thursday.

The big winners on the night were Laura Finucane, who won the Athlete of the Year Award, and Neil Tattersall, who took the Raymond Wild Trophy after being voted the Athlete's Athlete.

The highlight of Finucane's year was her fifth place in the IAAF World Youth Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada. Competing in the 800m, only four East Europeans could beat her as she clocked 2:05.90.

No sooner was she back home before she was whisked away to Spain where she added two gold medals at the European Catholic Schools Championships. Tattersall showed he is the man for all seasons, starring on country, road and track.

Last winter he was the Mid Lancs Cross Country League senior men's champion, and he carried his form over to the roads where he won two summer night series.

He won all four rounds of the Chorley On the Park Series, and also took the Chorley Four Mile Series. On the track he set a club record 9:49.1 in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Eleanor Markendale was part of the 4x100m relay team which won the gold medal at the English Schools Championship.

Lancashire's junior girls, including Markendale, won team gold too as they were the top county of their size in the country.

Discus thrower Jason Wade was selected for English Schools, while Amy Weaver was chosen for the Combined Events Championship. Sam Crabtree took a gold medal in the vertical jump in the UK Sports Hall Final.

Roll of honour: U11 Female Athlete - Rebecca Thompson, U11 Male Athlete - Jake Doney & Jordan Weaver, Female Cross Country (Jim McElhone Trophy) - Laura Finucane, Male Cross Country (Jim McElhone Trophy) - Neil Tattersall, U13 Female Sprint - Katie Hembrough, U13 Male Sprint (Tommy Jackson Trophy) - Chris Bridge, U13 Female Middle Distance - Emma Thompson, U13 Male Middle Distance) - Philip Bacon, U13 Female Field (Renee Jackson Trophy) - Katie Doney & Alisha Cuttell, U13 Male Field - Chris Bridge, Female Sprint - Laura Finucane, Male Sprint - Luke Simpson, Female Hurdles - Ruth Thompson, Male Hurdles - Frankie Vargacz, Female Middle Distance - Laura Finucane, Male Middle Distance - Marc Hartley, Female Field - Eleanor Markendale, Male Field - Jason Wade, Female Endeavour - Emily Walker, Male Endeavour - Sean McVittie, Female Stainthorpe Trophy (Mid Lancs League Points) - Eleanor Markendale, Male Stainthorpe Trophy (Mid Lancs League Points) - Nick Taylor, Pendle Open Trophy - Eleanor Markendale, Athletes' Athlete (Raymond Wild Trophy) - Neil Tattersall, Rotary Club Young Athlete of the Year Trophy - Laura Finucane