IN the final match of this season's McDonald's Girl's Young Athletes League, North West Division One at Warrington Horwich RMI's up and coming team had to settle for third place in the division, just missing out on the runner's up spot by five points.

The Team, depleted by athlete's holidays put up a tremendous performance, despite the absence of some of their top performers, to finish the day in a very close 4th place, and third in the League. At the end of the day the Horwich club finished 4th on 171 point, behind Division winners, Wrexham, 250, Macclesfield, 196, Warrington, 182, and ahead of West Cheshire, 127 and St. Helen, 89. The final league positions are, Wrexham, 745, promoted to the Premier Division, Macclesfield, 559, Horwich RMI Harriers & AC, 554, Warrington, 523, West Cheshire, 383, relegated, and St. Helens, 247, relegated. Track Captain Gary Harold said, "Although the girls are disappointed that we missed out on the runners-up spot by a few points, we have achieved what we had set out to do at the beginning of our first season in Division 1, and that objective was, to consolidate our Division l status this year, with a push for promotion to the Premier League in 2002. Next season, the seeds of our five year plan, having joined the McDonald's Girl's League Division 2 in 1998, will bear fruit, when the current crop of talented Under 15's move up to Under 17's level. The Club's patient policy of building from the grassroots level, through it's Induction Group, is finally paying off."

Some of the highlights of the day included Janine Mullineaux's double grade 2 AAA's of England Standard throws in the U15's Javelin and Shot. Her bests of 29.54m and a new PB of 10.08m gave her a first and second in the two events. In addition, she finished in 4th place in the 75m Hurdles in a time of 13.9. Other Under15's Standard Certificates were presented to Vicky Harold, Grade 3 in the Discus, with a winning best of 24.41m, Sara Cottam, Grade 4 in the High Jump, with a 3rd place best of 1.40m, Loretta Barnett, Grade 4 in the 100m, in a winning time of 13.7 and Sara Stephens, Grade 3 in the 75m Hurdles, in 1st place in the B string, in a time of 13.0. In the Under 13's 800m, Kirsty Milner achieved a Grade 3 Standard Certificate, in a time of 2.59.4.

In the Under 17's, County Javelin Champion, Cara Marsden, continued in this season's fine form with another victory, with a best of 30.99m.

Results: McDonald's Girls League, North West Division 1, Warrington

Wrexham, 1st, 250; Macclesfield, 2nd, 196; Warrington, 3rd, 182; Horwich, 4th, 171; West Cheshire, 5th, 127; St. Helens, 6th, 89.

Under 13's

800m: K. Milner, 5th, 2.59.4; H. Kershaw, 4th, 3.42.8

75m: K. Hair, 5th, 11.9; S. Roberts, 3rd, 12.4Long Jump: S. Roberts, 5th, 2.95m; L. Fisher, 3rd, 2.87m

70m Hurdles: M. Howarth, 5th, 15.9; L. Claughan, 4th, 17.6

150m: K. Milner, 4th, 23.3; M. Howarth, 2nd, 24.3

1200m: L. Fisher, 4th, 5.15.3; L. Higson, 6.13.5

Shot: L. Claughan, 4th, 5.88m; H. Anderton, 2nd, 4.96m

4x 100m Relay: Howarth, Milner, Hair, Roberts, 3rd, 62.9

Under 15's

800m: L. Anderton, 4th, 2.41.4; J. Carter, 6th, 3.22.0

Shot: J. Mullineaux, 2nd, 10.08m(PB); R. Brennan, 1st, 7.08m(PB)

High Jump: S. Cottam, 3rd, 1.40m; J. Carter, 2nd, 1.30m

100m: L. Barnett, 1st, 13.7; P. Molloy, 3rd, 15.1

75m Hurdles: J. Mullineaux, 4th, 13.9; S. Stephens, 1st, 13.0

Javelin: J. Mullineaux, 1st, 29.54m; L. Barnett, 2nd, 18.83m

200m: L. Barnett, 3rd, 28.1; S. Stephens, 2nd, 29.4

1500m: S. Keggin, 4th, 5.45.3; V. Harold, 3rd, 5.47.3

Discus: V. Harold, 1st, 24.41m; L. Anderton, 5th, 9.47m

4x 100m Relay: Anderton, Harold, Mullineaux, Barnett, 3rd, 55.6

Under 17's

Javelin: C. Marsden, 1st, 30.99m

200m: C. Marsden, 3rd, 29.6; K. Cole, 3rd, 33.8

1500m: K. Cole, 2nd, 5.21.0

Discus: C. Marsden, 2nd, 21.8m; K. Cole, 2nd, 14.86m.