TWO years ago Laura Finucane and Chris Hart were both winners at the English Schools championships in the intermediate age group.

Now having graduated to the senior rankings, they booked their return tickets with resounding victories at the Lancashire Schools' championships in Blackpool.

Last Saturday was a horrible day for the middle and endurance athletes with strong winds spoiling the attempts for English Schools qualifying marks in race after race.

So up stepped Hart of Blackburn Harriers to defy the conditions and break Dave Lewis' 25-year-old record in the 2,000 metres steeplechase.

A lack of competition meant that it was a real solo effort and he clocked 5:58.9 - the first to break six minutes in the championship.

Already top of the UK rankings in the under 20s 400m with 53.45 seconds, Pendle AC athlete Finucane underlined her form by breaking the championship Record with 54.1 seconds.

A second Pendle athlete Eleanor Markendale recorded a championship best performance in the Junior Girls' long jump, achieving a distance of 5.31m.

While the conditions hampered some, the sprinters benefited from a tail wind, and the selectors for the Lancashire Schools' team will have an unenviable task in weighing up the relative merits of the different performances.

One with no worries will surely be Danny Whittaker of Burnley AC, who will have the luxury of choosing his event after winning the Senior Boys' 100m and 200m.

He broke the record for the longer distance with 21.5 seconds but is expected to opt for the 100m after clocking 10.6 seconds.

Amy Weaver of Pendle cut it fine in the Intermediate Girls shot, winning the contest and exactly equalling the necessary distance of 10.20 metres.

Northern Champion Danielle Walker of Burnley AC and Emma Graham from Blackburn Harriers tried to work with each other for the time in the intermediate girls 3,000m and finished first and second, but it wasn't fast enough.

It was a similar story in the senior boys 1500m where Matt Wood of Blackburn and Richard Newton of Preston took turns to lead.

Newton was first with Wood second, but possibly none of these potential medal winners will be chosen this year as the conditions halted their progress.

Hyndburn AC could boast four winners with senior girls Lauren Grime taking the discus and Claire Mitchell the 400m hurdles.

Both added a second medal with Grime second in the hammer and Mitchell taking third in the long jump.

Heather Donald struck gold in the Inter Girls triple jump, while Imogen Walters was the winner of the junior shot.

Former Hyndburn athlete Richard Stones scored in the Intermediate Boy's 3,000m as fellow Blackburn Harrier Toby Banfield made it a club double by winning the senior race over the same distance in a personal best time.

There were more successes for Blackburn Harriers in the Junior Boys 800m and the Senior Boys' long jump where Peter Matthews and Neville Nelson picked up gold medals.

Burnley's Danny Eckersley was a double winner winning both Senior Boys' hurdles races over 100m and 400m.

Tom Clarke picked up a win in the Inter Boys 1500m, while in the field Alexis Walker is the Lancashire Schools champion in the javelin.

Fell running ace Rachael Thompson , from Westholme School, won the Senior Girls' 3,000m.