THE Wilkinson wonders of local fell racing - Mary and Victoria - lead the Great Britain women's team to a glorious triumph in the European Mountain Running Championships at Heiligenblut, Austria, last weekend (writes Roger Ingham).

It was the first ever British women's team win at this prestigious annual event.

Skipton Athletics Club's Mary Wilkinson, from Long Preston, and Bingley Harrier Victoria Wilkinson, from Hebden, finished seventh and eighth respectively in the ultra-tough event over 11km of ascent in the Gloschlochner Valley.

A total of 72 athletes representing 16 of Europe's top nations - including France, Russia, Germany, Spain and the might of Scandanavia -competed.

With the first three from each of the four-strong teams to count, the splendid lead produced by the two Wilkinsons was a key factor in Great Britain's win. Scotland's Lyn Wilson was their third best finisher in 19th position.

It meant Great Britain tied for top spot with Italy, but won the title and the team gold on the strength of their last scorer beating her Italian counterpart. The Czech Republic took bronze.

Whereas Mary Wilkinson had won her place in the team by winning the official trial up Mount Snowdon, her namesake Victoria (no relation) had been controversially omitted from the team, despite finishing fourth in the same event, in favour of Tracey Brindley.

But former UK cross-country champion Angela Mudge had to pull out of the team and thus pave the way for the Hebden girl's belated inclusion.

Victoria proved a point to the selectors with her vital contribution towards Great Britain's winning score whilst the hitherto favoured Brindley failed to finish the race.

Both Wilkinsons have other fairly imminent inernational dates. Victoria represents an England invitational team in a multi-terrain international in Switzerland this weekend before Mary figures in a similar role in the Snowdon up-and-down-dale event a week later.

But both athletes will have eyes on a bigger prize when the trial takes place in August for the places in the England team to contest the World Mountain Running Championship on September 25 in New Zealand.

o Also making a worthy impression at high-level competition last weekend were Craven's two qualifiers for the English Schools Athletics Finals at Birmingham.

Aireville's Luke Krelle had made the best jump of all qualifiers in winning the junior boys (years eight and nine) long jump in the North Yorkshire Schools Championships at York. But he has since been hampered by a hamstring injury which plagued him last weekend.

Although he could not match his mighty 5.91m, which he returned at York and would have won him a medal at Birmingham, his 5.73m was still a creditable performance and earned him seventh.

South Craven's Matthew Cottam also achieved the distinction of figuring in England's top ten as he clocked 22:58 seconds to finish ninth fastest in the intermediate boys' (years 10 and 11) 200m.

Also shining at national level was Catteral Hall's Chris Gemmell who won silver in the long jump and bronze in the 200m at the English Independent Schools Championships in Birmingham.

A fine sporting all-rounder, Gemmell has also been selected for the Yorkshire under-12 cricket team.