Alison Leonard is the English School's 800 metres Champion, winning the intermediate girls' title at Gateshead Stadium on Saturday, while Amy Weaver celebrated winning the bronze medal in the senior shot.

Leonard's victory has earned her a place in the England Schools' Team for the Home International at Grangemouth, Scotland this Saturday.

Chorley Harrier Leonard has been a revelation since joining Blackburn Harriers' middle distance squad two years ago under coach Arthur Almond.

This season especially she has progressed to reach the top of the National Rankings and make her England debut at the Loughborough International.

The Parklands schoolgirl had to negotiate heats and semi-final on Friday, losing Lancashire team-mate Leigh Lennon from Witton Park School in the opening round.

In the final she was in the leading group for the opening lap, but surged ahead 50 metres after the bell.

Although one of the chasers threatened to catch, her final kick took her clear of Stacey Smith by over a second in 2:07.46.

Not only did it lower her personal best by over a second, but it further stretched her advantage at the head of the under-17 rankings.

Weaver won her second medal in consecutive years by adding the bronze to her silver of 12 months ago.

The standard of the shot putt competition was even higher this time and she knew that she would have to go close to her personal best of 12.05 metres to stand a chance of a medal.

Fortunately she struck early with 11.99m in the very first round, but then just couldn't find the extra four centimetres required to turn bronze to silver. Nevertheless she bettered last year's distance by 25 centimetres.

At 18, it will be Weaver's last school's competition, but the Pendle AC athlete, coached by Derek Butterworth, will soon have a new challenge.

In August she will be flying out to Milwaukee near Chicago after winning a soccer scholarship at Cardinal Stritch University.

Last season she was the goalkeeper for Burnley FC girls and she has previously played for Manchester City and Darwen. She will be joined by fellow Clitheroe Royal Grammar students Hayley Price and Sarah Ronnan in the states.

East Lancashire's only boy at Gateshead was Joe Basquill from Hyndburn. The junior is still a novice in his first year of competition, yet he reached the final of the 800 metres via two tough qualifying rounds.

Twice over the weekend he lowered his personal best culminating in a National Standard 2:02.78 for seventh in the final.

Northern Champion Eleanor Markendale was fifth in the intermediate girl's long jump with 5.39m, but although the normally consistent Pendle AC athlete was disappointed to be below her best in windy conditions, she was still only five centimetres from a medal.

Burnley's Danielle Walker contested the senior 1500m but failed to reach the final as a fastest loser after becoming involved in a slow tactical heat.