IT may have been the last open meeting on the race calendar but there was no shortage of effort as athletes looked to finish the season with a flourish.

With relegation and promotion issues already settled the open event gave competitors one last chance to improve the personal best records.

The Seedhill event again attracted a large contingent of local track and field athletes from across East Lancashire with Burnley, Hyndburn and Blackburn all sending big teams to compete alongside host side Pendle Athletics Club.

Naturally the host side had the strongest turn out and so it proved and they collect a string of first places with a number of athletes recording personal bests.

And it was Pendle's youngsters who had a field day picking no fewer than 34 first places with Matthew Holden, Kirsty Threlfall and Lisa Ashworth the pick of the bunch.

All three came out on top in three events with Matthew winning the under 17s 100m hurdles in 14.8 secs, 400m hurdles in 56.6 secs and on the long jump with a leap of 5.70m.

Lisa was the top sprinter in the under 15s section winning both the 100m and 200m in 13.4secs and 27.1secs respectively and came first in the long jump with a jump of 4.57m.

Kirsty showed her all-round capabilities in the under 11s section to win the 75m sprint in 11.4secs, leapt 1.10m to win the high jump and threw the cricket ball 18.16m.

Nine Pendle athletes won two events on the day with under 10s athlete Eleanor Markendale winning the 75m race and recording a personal best in her 800m victory.

There was also personal bests for Nikala Smith in the under 13s long jump where she also won the 200m.

In the senior section, Laura White leapt a lifetime best of 5.68m to win the long jump and followed that up with victory in the high jump.

Top man was sprint king Mark Barnes who won the 100m in 11.8secs and 400m in 52.7secs while Keith Kong won the long jump and triple jump in convincing style.

In the under 17s men section, Nicky Taylor proved his ability around the track by winning the 100m and 200m in 11.6secs and 25.1secs. In the under 15s, James Robinson also enjoyed success in the spring finals by winning the 100m and 200m.

Hyndburn enjoyed a good day and showed they have some good up-andcoming middle distance runners.

Damion Rawcliffe won the under 10s 800m race while the club secured a one-two in the under 11s race with Liam Regan beating Nathan Riding into second place.

And Mark Bridge also enjoyed success over the same distance in the under 15s age group.

The club's other success came in the under 13s when Charlotte Baron won the shot put.

Casey Dean enjoyed a good day in the under 17s with with a second place in the long jump and 100m while Natalie Honey came second in the 800m and third in the 75m in the under 10s age group.

Those who were pipped at the post included Hayley Bullen who came second in the under 17s 800m. In the same age group Matthew Anderton also came second in the 800m race.

Amanda Lowe was second in the under 15s shot put while Simon Pollard also picked up a runners-up place in the under 17s long jump.

Carrie Hamilton was the pick of the Blackburn Harriers athletes when the young 800m runner won the under 15s race in 2mins 52.2secs while John-Paul Clements did well to finish third in the 100m hurdles.

Burnley's Colin Bailey was first in the high jump with a leap of 1.80m and also came first in the pole vault with 2.80m.

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