Fifteen year-old Skyrac athlete Amy Howard (Benton Park School) exceeded all expectations at the English Schools' AA Track and Field Championships at the Harvey Hadden Stadium, Nottingham.

Competing in the intermediate (U-17) girls' discus she broke her personal best in each of her first three throws to achieve second place with a magnificent 38.69m. As a result Amy has now been selected to represent England in the four home countries U-17 international match at Scotstoun, Glasgow, this Saturday.

Skyrac athlete Laura Kirk (Guiseley School) came through heat and semi-final to record the excellent time of 2 mins.13.7s for sixth place in the intermediate girls' 800m. This was a most impressive performance as Laura, like Amy, is one year under age in this category.

Another Skyrac first year intermediate, Andrew Staniland (Leeds GS), achieved 20th place in the U-17 boys' long jump with 6.02m, and teammate, Damien Hines, putt the shot 12.19m for 14th position in the same age group.

Horsforth's Bethany Staniland (The Girls' GS, Bradford, and Kingston-upon-Hull AC) enjoyed the junior girls' discus competition where she finished 13th with 28.01m. Also, in the discus, Woodhouse Grove School student Lewis Williamson (Leeds City AC), came seventh in the intermediate boys' event with 44.08m.

Young Athletes League

At the Barnsley Young Athletes Open Meeting the following day Bethany Staniland sought out some important combined events practice for the English Schools' Combined Events Championships later in the year.

She contested three other field events and came away with three first place trophies. She started with a victory in the U-15 girls' long jump with a new personal best performance of 5.08m.

This was followed by first places in the shot with 10.22m and in the javelin with 26.21m.

Her older brother Andrew Staniland (Skyrac AC), seeking the same competitive practice, set a new personal best in the under-17 men's 100m with 11.6s for third place. A leap of 6.18m gave him victory in the long jump and he then equalled his personal best, 1.75m, for second place in the high jump.

Skyrac athletes also picked up four further trophies at the same meeting. Under-15 boy Matthew Hudson won the high jump with a personal best of 1.64m and then putt the shot 9.82m for third place.

Skyrac newcomer Hannah Podlewska earned herself two first place trophies with two superb performances in the U-13 girls'age group. She won the 100m in 13.9s and followed this up with 7.85m in the shot.

Northern Men's League

Skyrac AC's Northern Men's League team kept up the pressure for promotion out of Division Three South East in the third match at Rotherham.

They finished third behind Doncaster and Stainforth AC and Bingley Harriers. They now have to beat the former club in the final meeting in August, whilst hoping that Doncaster come no higher than third in order to win the league.

Darren Thomas was Skyrac's saving grace at Rotherham, as he competed successfully in no less than seven events. He won the A string pole vault with 2.90m and came second in the A hammer with a pleasing 31.15m. This was followed by 41.06m for third in the javelin. He even stood in to run the A 200m and was relieved that his long term hamstring injury stood up to the test.

Darren's former Parkside team-mates, Shayn Thomas and Matthew Clay, continued to pile on the points for Skyrac. Matthew, the current West Yorkshire T &F League leader, won the long jump with 6.60m and then achieved two second places in the high jump (1.70m) and 100m (12.0s).

Shayn was a double event winner with 5.83m in the B long jump and 1.65m in the B high jump.

Seventeen year-old Graham Powell was victorious in the 400m hurdles in the fine time of 60.0s. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the age range, M55 veteran Keith Tugwell won the B pole vault with 2.40m.

There was also a welcome return to action for Julian Gittens who won the B triple jump with 12.11m.

Other top three results were:-

Dave Rhodes, 3rd B hammer (22.52m); Shayn Thomas, 3rd A 110m hurdles (18.2s); Adrian Smollet, 1st B 110m hurdles (20.8s).

In Division Three Central of the same league, Horsforth's Robert Spencer (Holmfirth Harriers) was an impressive winner of the 3000m Steeplechase in 9 mins.59.5s.

The next day saw Skyrac's Northern Women's League team in action in Division Two East at Cleethorpes.

Here they finished second behind Wakefield Harriers B. There were some excellent performances again from the talented Guiseley School contingent, in particular Laura Kirk's dominant run in the U-17 women's 800m.

Gabby Rowell was equally impressive in the same event in the U-15 girls' age group and 15 year-old Amy Howard produced a mighty 35.44m to win the senior discus.

With several solid performances from Danni White, Fiona Thomas and Shanelle Smith in this older category, Skyrac go into the final match at Jarrow in early August with a great deal of optimism.

Horsforth's Bethany Staniland was also in action at Cleethorpes in this same divisional meeting, but competing for Kingston upon Hull B team. She came away with three second places in the U-15 girls' throwing events.

These were achieved with 10.04m in the shot, 29.09m in the discus and 23.85m in the javelin.

West Yorkshire League

At the West Yorkshire Track and Field League fifth meeting of the series at South Leeds Stadium Skyrac's highlights were Jack Murray's fifth place in the U-13 boys' long jump (4.27m) and J Lumley's 1.45m for second place in the U-15 girls' high jump.

Multi-eventer Bethany Staniland (KuHAC) made her first appearance of the season in this competition. She was third in the U-15 girls' 1500m (5 mins.31.0s) and then recorded sixth place in the 100m in 13.9s.

English Schools' Cup

Two local athletes represented Leeds Grammar School in the final of the English Schools' AA Track and Field Cup at Eton's Thames Valley Athletics Centre.

Although the Grammar School, the Leeds Schools' 2002 champions, achieved the overall place of twelfth in the U-16 boys' age group, Andrew Staniland (Skyrac) and Richard Ettenfield (Leeds City) gained three second places between them.

Andrew had a double second with 11.4s in the 80m hurdles and 38.99m in the discus. Menston's Richard putt the shot a personal best distance of 13.52m.