PENDLE Athletic Club hosted the third round of the Young Athletes League at Seedhill on Sunday in a match that brought them face to face with local rivals Blackburn Harriers for the only time this season.

Both teams are in Northern Division One West where the 16 clubs involved take on three different opponents in each of the five rounds.

With our other local clubs being in lower divisions, this was the unofficial championship of East Lancashire and it was Blackburn who came out on top.

Party poopers Sheffield pipped the Harriers on the day to maintain their 100 per cent record in the league and, with Preston Harriers taking their third successive win elsewhere, Blackburn's hopes of winning one of the two promotion places have therefore suffered.

Still they amassed over 300 points with athletes gaining Grade Three standards in five out of six age and gender groupings.

As always they were strong in the middle distances with under-13 girl Carmen Peter-Thomas being a notable exception winning the A string high jump with 1.30m.

Under-15 boy Curtis Pearce was well clear of the opposition in both the 800m and 1500m taking the latter in a Grade 3 time of 4:37.0.

The other Grade 3s were all registered in the 800m with under-15 Carly Thompson clocking 2:29.4, Paul Bradshaw being timed at 2:04.8 in the under-17s and Aaron Flynn delivering 2:32.1 in the under-13s. All three won the A string races.

Pendle's Eleanor Markendale produced that rarity of a Grade 1 Standard in the long jump.

The leggy under-15 leapt 5.20m to beat her nearest rival by 29cms - a foot in old money.

It was part of a quite exceptional treble as she took the 100m in 13.1 seconds and the 200m in a Grade 2 26.7 seconds. Her performances in the long jump and the 200m were both personal bests.

Fellow under-15 Emma Hargreaves was also on song as she produced three PBs and won the 200m B race.

In the previous round a fortnight ago, Jason Wade lifted the club record in the under-17 discus to 39.05m, and on his home track he bettered it to 39.22m. Jason doubled up to win the hammer throw too.