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This season 12 Junior Ilkley Harriers were selected to represent their regional teams in various Sports Hall Athletics competitions.

At U-11 level William Giles and Ben Cheetham were selected for the City of Bradford team and Melissa Fletcher for the Leeds team.

At the Yorkshire and Humberside Festival held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield all three performed well for their teams.

Overall the U-11 boys' team were second just 12 points behind Leeds and in the girls' event Leeds were also second just six points behind the Sheffield team.

Each child competes in relay races as well as field events. William was first in the balance test with the maximum score of 60. Ben was also competing in the balance and was 15th with a score of 41 and was 12th in the sitting throw with 7m.25. Melissa was 15th in the speed bounce with 50 and 14th in the triple jump with 5m.16. At U-13 and U-15 level nine juniors were selected for their regional team.

At U-15 level Thomas Scott and James Swinton were selected for the West Yorkshire team and Fiona Jordan the North Yorkshire team but both these teams were knocked out at the Yorkshire regional eliminator. For the boys it was very disappointing as they had competed in the National final in 2007 and this was their final year.

However, both the U-13 teams from West Yorkshire were represented at the National final held at the NEC in Birmingham.

Overall the girls team came tenth and the boys team seventh. For the girls Joanna Snook was 14th in the standing long jump with 2m.17; Lucy Deakin was 16th in the standing triple jump with 6m.09; Bethany Pugh was 12th in the vertical jump with 49cm and Chloe Tindale was 23rd in the high jump with 1m.20. For the boys Ben Swinton was 23rd in the shot with 5m.64 and brother Adam was a reserve on the day.

For all these juniors to experience such top class competition is a brilliant achievement and for all the helpers and coaches involved with Sportshall Athletics at Ilkley it has been a great way to conclude our season.

At Ilkley they coach just over 130 children each week for Sportshall Athletics and at the end of March presented Norwich Union Awards to them all.

Since September the 11 to 15 year-olds have been working towards their Level 3 Sportshall Athletics Heptathlon Award and the 8 to 11 year olds their Level 2 Agility Challenge Decathlon Award.

Each year children gain more experience and standards continue to rise. This year they gave four heptathlon gold medals to Bethany Pugh, Thomas Scott, James Swinton and Peter Linnegan and 21 decathlon gold medals to the younger age group.

Sportshall Athletics is the lead into outdoor track and field athletics and as a result of the interest and success they are having in Sportshall Athletics they will be entering an Ilkley junior team in the Young Athletes League for the first time this Summer.

It will be quite a learning experience for both athletes and coaches but Ilkley are determined to go out and have a lot of fun.

At the presentation of awards Sportshall Athletics and cross-country colours and half colours were presented to a number of Junior Ilkley Harriers who have represented the club throughout the season.

James Swinton, Thomas Scott (both U-15), Bethany Pugh, Joanna Snook, Lucy Deakin, Chloe Tindale, Ben and Adam Swinton (all U-13), Melissa Fletcher, William Giles and Ben Cheetham (all U-11) received full Sportshall Athletics Colours.

Aimee Guy (U-15), Daniel Judkowski and Elizabeth Heard (U-13) received their half colours.

Cross-Country colours were awarded to Naomi Elliott, Sam Gate, Tom Bennett, Jack Cummings (all U-11), Josh Crane, Sam Haggar, Adam and Ben Swinton, Jerome Martill, Ellie Taylor, Jessica Holden (all U-13), Stephen Clarke (U-15) Catherine Gibbons and Jenny Dybeck (both U-17) and half colours to Lily Kitchen, Joshua Stephens (both U-13) and Fiona Jordan (U-15).

Organiser Shirley Wood said: "Well done to every junior who received an award this year and thank you to all the Junior Ilkley Harriers who have represented the club for all your hard work, effort and commitment this season."

12:28pm Thursday 24th April 2008

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