CLECKHEATON athlete Sally Smith has received her first national gold medal.

The 21-year-old, who will start work as a reception teacher at Cavendish Primary School in Eccleshill next month, won the women's 800 metres at the combined England Athletics Senior AAA and CAU Inter-Counties Championships in Bedford.

The Yorkshire and Northern champion was eighth at the bell but led off the final bend to win going away in 2min 08.25sec.

The Wakefield Harrier, who is coached at Leeds Beckett University by Aaron Thomas, also received the Lillian Board Trophy.

This is named in memory of the talented athlete whose final race was the AAA 800m at Crystal Palace in 1970 before she died of cancer aged 22 later that year.