THE future of athletics is bright to judge from the massive response by the region's young athletes to the annual Open Cross Country meeting at Wilson Playing Fields.

Of over 300 runners who took part in the fixture, nearly 200 were in the under 11 and under 13 age groups.

Hosts Hyndburn Athletic Club have a well-earned reputation for discovering young talent, and it was no surprise that they were the first of our local clubs to register a team victory.

Callum Fitzpatrick (3rd) was their first home in the under 11 boys race, and all three counters netted top six finishes with Damian Rawcliffe (5th) and Liam Regan (6th).

The Under 13 boys came close to emulating them, finishing runners-up behind a strong Sale team. Robert Greenwood who won the race by five seconds is a Hyndburn athlete, but was entered for his school Clith- eroe Grammar. For the official Hyndburn team, Andy Charlesworth took third place.

The first local win came in the very first race when Burnley Athletic Club's Danielle Walker won the under 11 girls race by 20 metres. Also a winner last week at Skipton, Danielle will be one to watch in the Mid-Lancs League. Blackburn Harriers' Anna Brooks (3rd) and Sarah Blackburn (4th) were among the leaders in the under 13s, but the lack of a third counter cost the team, and again the beneficiary was Sale.

Cross country expert Anne Smith (Park High School), relishing a return to her favourite surface, took the under 15s race by a distance, but she was the only representative from the tiny Colne club and it was Pendle AC who took team honours.

For the Seedhill-based outfit, Laura Finucane (4th) led home Naomi Biddle (10th) and Debbie Trickett (14th). In the same age group, Pendle's boys were the runners-up with David Riley's fourth place their best. The only club to take a 1-2 result was Blackburn Harriers Under 17 men. Michael Hammer won a notable victory over the better known Liam Barton, Michael's margin over English School's silver medallist Chris Stoves (Lancaster) in third, was over a minute. Jonathan Holt in fifth ensured that Blackburn was also the top team.

Clayton Harriers, were senior and veterans team winners in both the men's and ladies races. Vanessa Peacock started slowly, but came through the field, eventually running out an easy winner. Sarah Willimot of Blackburn Harriers beat Clayton's second counter Alison Martin for third place, Tina Lewis completed the Clayton team.

There was a bizarre incident in the men's race when first past the post Andy Black was disqualified for forgetting to enter the race.

Andy's Clayton team-mates Mick Green, Mick O'Rourke and Pete Browning saved his blushes by clinching the team prize without him, even though the highest East Lancashire finishers were Blackburn Harriers' Ben Fish (2nd) and Mark Emmett (4th). Results - Key: B Burnley, BH Blackburn Harriers, C Clayton, H Hyndburn, P Pendle, PHS Park High School.

Under 11 Girls (1600m): 1 Danielle Walker (B) 6.26, 15 Eleanor Markendlae (P) 7.04, 19 Claire Emmet (H) 7.09, 22 Grace Biddle (P) 7.11, 35 Natalie Honey (H) 7.40, 38 Joanne McVey (H) 7.55, 40 J Stones (H) 7.57.

Under 11 Boys (1600m): 1 H Danson (Sale) 6.10, 3 Callum Fitzpatrick (H) 6.18, 5 Damian Rawcliffe (H) 6.37, 6 Liam Regan (H) 6.43, 14 Damian Amos (P) 7.18, 17 Jake Farrell (P) 7.21, 21 Ashley Rutherford (H) 7.23, 22 J Entwistle (BH) 7.26. Team: 1 Hyndburn.

Under 13 Girls (2500m): 1 C Morrison (Sale) 9.58, 3 Anna Brooks (BH) 10.18, 4 Sarah Blackburn (BH) 10.21, 13 Kate Walker (P) 10.56, 20 Nicola Barnes (H) 11.19, 23 Sam Bullen (H) 11.28, 26 Lauren Bridge (P) 11.33, 27 Claire Mitchell (H) 11.35, 28 Nikela Smith (P) 11.37, 30 Emma Graham (B) 11.50, 31 Louise Dickinson (PH) 11.51, 32 Anna Griffiths (H) 11.52, 33 Kate Halley (P) 11.53, 34 R Curren (H) 11.54. Under 13 Boys (3000m): 1 Robert Greenwood (Clitheroe GS) 11.39, 3 Andy Charlesworth (H) 11.47, 14 Matthew Long (H) 12.46, 16 Robert Entwistle (BH) 12.56, 17 D Cottom (BH) 13.00, 24 Matthew Mugan (H) 13.40. Team: 2 Hyndburn.

Under 15 Girls (3000m): 1 Anne Smith (PHS) 12.15, 4 Laura Finucane (P) 12.41, 7 Rachel Holt (BH) 12.55, 10 Naomi Biddle (P) 13.40, 13 Claire Mullen (H) 14.13, 14 Deborah Trickett (P) 14.23, 16 Carrie Hamilton (BH) 14.52. Team: 1 Pendle.

Under 15 Boys (3800m): 1 S Enwright (Halifax) 13.34, 4 David Riley (P) 14.48, 5 David Lowe (P) 15.25, 10 Mark Bridge (P) 18.13. Team: 2 Pendle.

Under 17 Men (4800m): 1 Michael Hammer (BH) 17.13, 2 Liam Barton (BH) 17.42, 5 Jonathan Holt (BH) 18.37, 6 John Riley (P) 18.53, 7 Aaron Wilson (P) 19.06, 8 Kirk Lee (PHS) 19.23, 10 Thomas Bennett (P) 19.46, 11 Matthew Anderton (P) 20.12. Team: 1 Blackburn Harriers.

Under 17 Senior and Veteran Ladies (4800m): 1 Vanessa Peacock (C) 19.23, 3 Sarah Willimot (BH) 20.10, 4 Alison Martin (C) 20.52, 6 Kate Rogan (Skipton) 21.31, 10 Karen Brooks (BH) 21.48, 12 Tina Lewis (C) 22.25. Team: 1 Clayton.

Senior and Veteran Men (8600m): 1 R Parrington (Lancaster), 2 Ben Fish (BH), 4 Mark Emmett (BH), 7 Mick Green (C), 11 Mick O'Rourke (C), 13 Pete Browning (C), 15 J Ramsbottom (P), 16 Robert Rusell (C). Team: Clayton.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.