BLACKBURN Rovers finished fourth in their first season in the Premier League, Burnley a lowly 13th in the old Division Two and Accrington Stanley were stilll kicking about in non league football.

A lot has changed since 1993, the year that Linford Christie and Colin Jackson were both crowned world athletics champions and Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham announced his retirement from cricket – his ‘natural’ successor, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, was still just 15-years-old!

It was also the year that Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Schools last had a new overall athletics champion.

For in the ensuing 18 years – which has also included four different Prime Ministers and seven X Factor winners – Hollins High School has reigned supreme.

But in 2011, in a new millennium, all that has finally changed when St August-ine’s prised the National & Provincial Trophy from the vice like grip of their Accrington rivals. And the Billington school did it in style, winning six of the available nine team trophies up for grabs, including the much coveted overall prize.

The super Saints won the Granville Slack overall boys champions trophy – despite being pipped for track and field honours by Hollins.

But the girls swept the board, winning the TSB field trophy, the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Schools Sports Association (HRVSSA) track trophy and lifted the William Brownbill Shield as overall champions.

St Augustine’s also added the Ribble Valley Shield as borough champions and at last the oveall trophy that had taken up permanent residence in the trophy cabinet on Hollins Lane.

The competition was organised by Don Lennon, chairman of the HRVSSA, but who also worked with the young athletes at St Augustine’s.

“Firstly I would like to congratulate Hollins High School for their remarkable record over the years,” said Lennon.

“That is testimony to all the hard work put in by Keith Vizzard over many years.”

“But it was great to see St Augustine’s finally win the overall title. The have been nipping at the heels of Hollins for some years now and I think it is good to have a different winner.

“I have worked with the pupils at St August-ine’s put as chairman I was inpartial for this event. So I would like to congratulate Ann Smith and Andy Kelly and the rest of the PE department for their fantastic work.”

There was another pleasing note for Lennon who saw his daughter Lucy crowned year nine girls inter town champion after winning the 200m and 800m in a new record time of 2mins 26.1secs.

There were some other notably indiv-idual perform-ances from St Augustine’s pupils, namely Beatrice Toman who was crowned year seven girls champion after winning the 100m in 13.93secs and, like Lennon, crossed the line first in the 800m in 2mins 44.46secs.

Libby Turner made it a hat-trick of victories for St Augustine’s in the 800m, winning the year eight race in 2mins 41.23secs and Ella Roberts won the year nine 100m in 13.47secs. In the field, Hannah Thompson won the year 10 discus with a throw of 19.2m while Charlotte Moxham leapt 3.49m to win the year seven long jump.

Marco Balanco was the standout boy for St Augustines, winning the year 10 200m in 25.50secs.