RIBBLE Valley Athletic Club have held their third annual presentation evening at Mytton Fold with special guests the former Blackburn Rovers footballer Stuart Ripley and Olympic swimmer Adam Whitehouse, the former European and Commonwealth breaststroke champion.

It was another landmark season with Leigh Lennon becoming their first England International when she won U20s honours in the Celtic Cup Meeting at Cardiff in February. Leigh competed in the 400m that day, but when she represented the U20s again outdoors in Malta, she ran the 800m and won.

She also caught the eye of Dame Kelly Holmes, who invited her on to the On Camp with Kelly mentoring scheme that will aim to groom her for further international success.

Lennon’s career has developed in parallel with that of her contemporary Robbie Schofield and the pair each won bronze medals in the 800m at the English Schools’ Track and Field Championships - a tough ask for both as they were in their first year as seniors. The two were named as the Sports Personalities of the Year.

Ribble Valley were as busy as ever on the track last summer with the joy of promotion for the men in the Mid-Lancs League only partly offset by the relegation from Northern Division 1W of the Young Athletes League.

There was consolidation in the National Junior League and individual successes in their first season contesting the Lancashire Sportshall League, with the club gaining a number of county calls.

Off the track the club earned the Clubmark, which covers areas such as coaching, child welfare policy and first aid.

Ribble Valley AC is open to anyone over seven and holds training sessions at two venues. On Sundays at 10.30am and Monday at 6pm they are at Witton Park, Blackburn, while on Wednesday at 7pm you can catch them at Oakhill College, Whalley.

Call Don Lennon on 07872 650237 for more information. Ribble Valley Awards: U11s: Eleanor Graham, James Kimberley. U13s: Lucy Lennon, Oliver Ragen. U15s: Abbie Thistlethwaite, Reece Clark. U17s: Rebecca Shorrock, Sam Yates. U20s: Ashleigh Williams, Nathan Riding. Frank Riding Award for Effort: Tom Barnes. Team of the Year: Junior League. Best Performance by a Female: Tess Parkinson, Leigh Lennon. Best Performance by a Male: Ian Yates, Robbie Schofield. Cross Country: Ellen Duke, Reece Clark. Track: Lauren Westwell, Joe Oldfield. County Selection: Reece Clark, Ashleigh Williams. County and Regional Selection: Robbie Schofield, Leigh Lennon. International Selection: Leigh Lennon.