Sophie Hitchon, of Pendle Athletic Club, has won a gold medal in the England Athletics U17 and U15 Championships at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium.

As if it was not enough for the talented hammer thrower to win a National Championship, she set a new Championship record in the U17 contest of 53.18 metres.

Such was the 16-year old's complete dominance of the event that she exceeded the old record of 48.79m, set by Hayley Murray 12 months ago, in all six throws.

Her shortest was 50.88m and that would have also easily beaten this year's runner-up Myra Perkins with her best of 46.47m.

Sophie follows in a most distinguished line of throwers competing at the venue, as in 1993 Jan Zelezny set a world record of 95.66m in the javelin.

Ribble Valley athletes Leigh Lennon and Robbie Schofield both made the finals of the U17s 800m, Leigh after winning her heat.

She took fifth in the women's final in 2:15.25 while Robbie was fifth, but less than a second behind the winner in 1:56.45.

Blackburn Harriers' recent signing from Rossendale, Anthony Hauserman was another to reach the 800m final, this time in the U15 age band.

Anthony was fifth in 2:06.09 after a rapid run of 2:03.89 in his heat. Chris Matthews, of Blackburn, and Sam Yates, from the Ribble Valley, were eliminated from Hauserman's heat as Jonathan Harker, of the Ribble Valley, failed to progress in the U17s 200m.