Eleanor Markendale has won the bronze medal in the under 20 women's heptathlon at the English Combined Events Championships.

The Pendle Athletic Club star exceeded expectations in setting a personal best score of 4855 points, registering an improvement from 4642, at the Northwood Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent.

She set three personal best performances with 15.37 seconds in the 100m hurdles, 25.20 for the 200m, 5.76m in the long jump and equalled her best of 1.62m in the javelin to set up the medal chance.

In the javelin, she threw 27.47 metres while her only disappointment was in the shot where her longest putt was just 8.13 metres.

Going into the final event, she was in third position but had little in hand over her nearest rival, yet somehow she produced a fourth personal best in the 800 metres to secure the bronze by 57 points.

After a lung-bursting run of 2:20.25, the final margin represented about four seconds on the track. The Clitheroe Royal Grammar School student represented England Schools at last year's Schools' International but winning a medal in a National Championship could open the door to a full England call.

Elsewhere, Alison Leonard has lowered her personal best in the 800 metres to further enhance her chances of selection for the European Junior Championships.

Competing for Blackburn Harriers at the British Milers' Club Nike Grand Prix meeting in Manchester, the 17-year-old clocked 2:04.86 to eclipse the 2:05.56 she set at the Loughborough International. That has moved her even further under the qualifying time of 2:06.

Leonard and Markendale both missed the Lancashire Schools' Championships to compete, but each could be chosen for the English Schools' Championships having set the qualifying standards. The selectors are due to meet tomorrow.

l Preston's Helen Clitheroe was second in the women's 3000 metres steeplechase at Manchester, clocking 9:50.23 as Hatti Dean broke the UK women's record with 9:43.11. Ben Lindsay of Pendle ran the 1500m in 3:57.38, Blackburn's Ben Fish was timed at 14:17.44 in the 5000m and Vicky Gill from Chorley Harriers registered 16:28.64 in the women's 5000m.