BOLTON Olympic Wrestlers kicked off the new season with an impressive performance in the Lancashire Championships.

The 18-strong team carried off 18 top three places including 12 golds in the junior ranks.

Gold medal winners were: under 9s - Liam Oakes (28kg); u-13s - Carla Scowcroft (29kg) and Brendan Killelea (34kg); and u-17s - Michael Tustin (34kg), Shaun Killelea (37kg), Lee Earp (40kg), Leanne Rennie (41kg), John Keech (51kg), Emma Taylor (55kg), Natasha Young (60kg), Paul McGuffie (65kg) and Matthew Marland (70kg) .

Two new Bolton wrestlers Liam Loftus (u-9s, 34kg) and Mark Cooper (u-17s, 60kg) produced outstanding performances to take silvers in their first competitions.

Tom Keech and Kris Leeson also took silvers and there were bronzes for Warren Rennie and Tony Young.

Next target for the Bolton club is the English Open Championships at the Wrestling Centre of Excellence in Salford next month. Anyone interested in joining the long-established Olympic Wrestling Club should ring 01204 651417 for information or visit the clubhouse at 389 Wigan Road, Deane.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.