CHORLEY high jumper Lee Pursglove has won a silver medal in the English Schools Championships at Exeter in his first year of competition.
Still learning about the sport, he was encouraged to join Chorley Athletic Club after teachers at Albany School spotted his potential.
Lee won the Northern Championship in May, but two other Northern Champions Louise Dickinson and Matt Wood had their hopes dashed when they suffered heavy falls in their finals.
Meanwhile, Debo Ademuyewo, Laura Finucane and Andrew Ormesher all won bronze medals.
Fourteen-year-old Pursglove went into the competition with a PB of 1.76m, but easily passed that level with first time clearances at each new mark.
It wasn't until the height was set at 1.84m that he suffered his first failure when he got too close to the bar and knocked it off with his shoulder.
He cleared at the second attempt, but lost the junior boy's title on countback to Staffordshire's Alan Hassall who cleared the height first time.
Laura Finucane was selected for an England debut after her bronze medal in the intermediate 800m -- but has been forced to turn down the chance.
The St Hilda's pupil from Burnley held back in a fast race, sixth at the bell she came through strongly and almost snatched the silver as the others faded.
Next week she flies to Hungary to represent GB Catholic Schools in the 300m, 800m and 100m relay.
Competing against teams from Holland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Austria, France and Hungary she will be away for a week causing her to miss England's Home International in Ireland.
Park High School sprinter Louise Dickinson had a devastating fall just three yards from the finish of the junior girls 200m.
In the silver medal position, it seems she may have caught her spikes in the track.
She crashed to the ground finishing inches from the tape. Eventually an official carried her over the finishing line.
It wasn't her weekend -- earlier the girls relay team had dropped the baton when in a good position to qualify for the final.
An hour before Louise's tumble, Matt Wood of Blackburn had fallen in the junior 800m.
Matt had breezed into the final as the fastest qualifier setting a new PB of 2mins 3.61secs secs.
He was back on his feet remarkably quickly after tripping 250m into the race, and had regained his place at the bell.
Unfortunately the effort had taken its toll and he couldn't respond to the leaders' final push as he finished fifth.
Stonyhurst College's Nigerian sprinter Debo Ademuyewo set a national standard 10.78 secs as he took the bronze in the senior boys 100m while Andrew Ormisher, from Bishop Rawstorne School in Chorley, won his bronze medal in the intermediate javelin.
Andrew's Wigan Harrier team mate Kieran Turner enjoyed an excellent championship, three times setting PBs in the junior 400m culminating in fifth place in a national standard 52.57 secs.
With the top six appearing on the winner's rostrum, Eloise Manger of Chorley clinched her place with an intermediate javelin throw of 36.63m to improve from ninth last year.
The Lancashire team returned home with two gold medals, Lancaster's Chris Stoves won the senior 800m and Hannah Elwiss from Blackpool took the intermediate 80m hurdles.
English Schools: Senior Boys: 100m: 3rd Debo Ademuyewo (Hyndburn) 10.78secs. 1500m: 9th Rob Barton (Blackburn) 4:04.51 secs. Intermediate Boys: Triple jump: 8th Owen Woodward (Burnley) 12.80 secs. Javelin: 3rd Andrew Ormesher (Chorley) 53.18m Junior Boys: 400m: 5th Kieran Turner (Pendle) 52.57 secs. 800m: 5th Matt Wood (Blackburn) 2:05.43 secs. High jump: 2nd Lee Pursglove (Chorley) 1.84m Intermediate Girls: 800m: 3rd Laura Finucane (Burnley) 2:11.37 secs. Javelin: 6th Eloise Manger (Chorley) 36.53 secs Junior Girls: 200m: 8th Louise Dickinson (Pendle) 800m: 6th in heat Anna Brooks (Blackburn) 2:41.75 secs. 75m hurdles: 6th in heat Anna Griffiths (Blackburn) 12.45 secs.
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