OVER 300 athletes from ten schools took part at Nunroyd Park, Yeadon, in the Airedale and Wharfedale Schools Cross-Country Championships hosted by Skyrac AC.

Results were: Years 5/6 Boys - 1, M Wood, Horsforth St Margaret's; 2, L Bradley, Fulneck; 3, B Alston, Tranmere Park; 4, E Hall, Tranmere park; 5, T Bovan, Tranmere Park; 6, N Elliott, Tranmere Park. Tranmere first team, 18 points.

Years 5/6 Girls - 1, E Henson, Tranmere Park; 2, H Bovan, Tranmere Park; 3, D Patel, Fulneck; 4, J Edwards, Tranmere Park; 5, H Ashraf, Calverley Park; 6, R Wilks, Horsforth St Margaret's. Tranmere first team, 20 points.

Years 3/4 Boys - 1, G Benson, Fulneck; 2, R Venard, Westbrook; 3, S Fairburn, Horsforth St Margaret's; 4, M Beddington, Horsforth St Margaret's; 5, J Ayre, Hawksworth; 6, J Gresty, Horsforth St Margaret's. Horsforth first team, 23 points.

Years 3/4 Girls - 1, B Gresty, Westbrook; 2, S Kaye, Westbrook; 3, L Pickles, Fulneck; 4, V Helbert, Tranmere Park; 5, A Ryan, Westbrook; 6, R Akhati, Horsforth St Margaret's. Westbrook first team, 16 points.

The club also run an after school athletics group for 8-11 year-olds on a Wednesday at 4pm at Nunroyd to encourage young sports people of the future.

Guiseley Gallop

Skyrac AC, who will organise the eighth Guiseley Gallop, supported by Ilkley firm The Complete Runner, on Easter Sunday, are celebrating the first birthday of their £1/2 million Nunroyd Park clubhouse by offering unattached runners free Skyrac membership for the current year.

Club Chairman Graham Breeze said: "The benefits of joining a running club are many, not only in terms of your running becoming easier but the social side of making new friends. Our new clubhouse with six changing/shower rooms and a large lounge bar area is the finest facility in north Leeds and is owned by Skyrac and the three other ANSA clubs whereas most running clubs have to make do with renting facilities from other organisations.

"Many unattached runners run in the Guiseley Gallop and we hope that some of them after meeting members of Skyrac and enjoying our marvellous facilities will try running with the club for a few months to see if Skyrac is the place for them.

"Skyrac has a reputation for being a competitive club but many of its members just enjoy running sociably with others on a couple of evenings a week."

Peter Rawnsley, who has developed the Guiseley Gallop over the last eight years said: "I am optimistic that this year entries will top 450. The number of pre-entries is already over 250 (closing date is April 14) and we will also take entries on the day although this costs an extra £1.

"I think inclusion of the race in the Airedale Triple Challenge has boosted entries as has making the application form available on www.skyrac.org.uk. The event has also received a favourable mention in Runners World.

"The route will follow the traditional route (as featured in the video Old Aireborough) and the start from West Side Retail Park has been brought forward to 10.30 am to avoid holiday traffic in Esholt."

Peter Rawnsley can be contacted on 01943 875516.

Awaiting start

Danielle Carr a Y7 pupil from St Mary's RC School, Menston, is eagerly awaiting the start of the outdoor athletics season. Throughout the winter Danielle has competed in several competitions involving athletics clubs from the North of England and achieved some outstanding results.

At Scunthorpe she came second in the U-13s' 80m sprint in a time of 21.7 secs. In a similar competition held in Blackpool, Danielle won both the U-13 girls' 80m and 200m sprint competition. Danielle currently trains with Leeds City Athletics Club.

Encouraging displays

There were some encouraging early season performances from three local under 17 athletes as they represented Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire at the Under-18 North of England AA Inter Regional Match in Preston.

In chilly conditions, Horsforth's Andrew Staniland (Leeds City AC) produced two pleasing long throws for two third places. These came in the discus (1.5kg) with 39.95m and in the javelin (700g) with 48.96m. However, he was disappointed with his long jump performance of 6.18m, although it did achieve second place as all the jumpers found the conditions testing.

Team-mate Richard Ettenfield of

Menston made his debut in the pole Vault and very much looked the part as he soared over an impressive 3.20m for second position.

For the women's team Amy Howard of Skyrac had her first outing of the new season. She threw the discus (1kg) a fine 32.40m for second place.

On the same day, 14 year-old Bethany Staniland (Leeds City AC) flew the local flag at the Kingston-

upon-Hull Open Meeting and made a successful return to her old club, coming home with three medals from the under-17 women's competitions. Her most pleasing performance came with a personal best in the discus (1kg) with 31.29m for first place.

She also picked up another gold medal in the shot (4kg) with an outdoors PB of 9.84m. Her day was rounded of with the bronze medal in the 800m.