THE girls and ladies of St Helens Sutton AC travelled to Douglas, Isle of Man, for the first round match in this year's North of England Women's Track & Field League.

In the under 15 years age group, Jodi Nelson was a double winner for the club, taking the javelin with a throw of 22.02 metres and the 1500 metres with a time of 5 mins 10.7 secs.

Caroline Morley won the high jump with 1.20 metres and the 75 metres hurdles with a run of 13.3 secs and took third place in the 200 metres with a time of 30.1 secs, while Rachel Pitfield won the discus with her throw of 16.01 metres and also long jumped 3.18 metres.

There were third places in the shot for Anna Sheffield, with a put of 5.29 metres, in the long jump, with a leap of 4 metres and in the 100 metres, with a run of 14.5 secs. Sarah O'Donnell high jumped 1.10 metres and ran 30 secs for the 200 metres.

The girls then combined to convincingly win the 4x100 metres relay with a time of 56.8 secs.

In the Senior Ladies, Joanna McNally had a busy and successful afternoon, taking second place in the 400 metres with 69.1 secs and in the 400 metres hurdles with 73.9 secs, and third place in both the 100 metres with 14.4 secs and the 200 metres with 29.7 secs.

Catherine Lambert finished second in the triple jump with 8.64 metres and in the long jump with a leap of 4.28 metres.

Natalie Moulineux was another versatile and busy athlete, taking third place in the discus with 24.46 metres, putting the shot 7.75 metres, throwing the javelin 23.61 metres, and running the 100 metres in 15.7 secs and the 200 metres in 31.2 secs.

In the Merseyside County Championships held at the Wavertree track in Liverpool, Jodi Nelson had a double success with two personal best performances both earning her bronze medals. In the 1500 metres she ran 5 mins 7 secs and in the javelin she threw 22.69 metres.

There was a personal best for Luke Benyon in the 200 metres where he ran 24.9 secs and he also ran 56.9 secs for the 400 metres and 2 mins 18 secs for the 800 metres.

Sarah Green also achieved a best-ever performance when she ran 2 mins 1 sec for the 600 metres. Sarah also ran in the 150 metres event where she clocked 22.8 secs.

Senior athletes have been busy on the road. In the Chester half-marathon Michael Pye, a runner with great potential, ran 80 mins 13 secs, Janet Holmes reversed recent form to beat John Irwin by 40 secs with a time of 16 mins10 secs and Alan Davies ran 125 mins 30 secs.

In the one-mile fun run held on the Chester Roodee, the club's youngest member, six-year-old Louise Davies ran 9 mins 56 secs.

And in one of the biggest of all ladies fields for any running event, the Liverpool Ladies 10 km race which starts and finishes in Sefton Park, Cecilia Fitzsimons returned to racing with a time of 48 mins 38 secs. Pam Appleton, also returning after injury, recorded 53 mins 9 secs, Dot Fairhurst 58 mins 42 secs, Margaret Hunter Frackleton 60 mins 54 secs, and Janice Lawson 68 mins 32secs.