ATHLETICS: TWO Vale Royal AC girls were the stars of the Cheshire Athletics Championships at the weekend.

Laura Lambert and Hannah Hewitson were among the four best performers in the competition at Macclesfield.

The club celebrated 21 golds altogether - and three of them were leapt upon by 15-year-old Hannah.

She scored an Under 17s jumps hat-trick - long, triple and high - and registered personal bests in each.

Hannah said: 'Yes, I'm pleased, especially with three personal bests.

'The award was a complete surprise. I'd no idea about it and I'd gone home before it was presented. I didn't know I'd won it until my coach, Neil Templeman, rang me at home later.'

Hannah only took up athletics two years ago and at only 5ft 5ins, she relies heavily on speed rather than length of stride, especially as she aims to specialise in triple jump. It was her first serious high jump event, yet she cleared 1.60m.

She won the triple in 11.09m, a new Cheshire record, and the long jump in 5.26m - and her claim to the Best Field Performance Salver was undisputed.

Hartford High School student Laura, 16, won her award for her gold medal performance in the 800m, also in U17s.

She also set a new personal best and her time of 2mins 14secs was four seconds inside the qualifying time for the English Schools Championships in July.

It was a tight race until the final 200m when the Darnhall-based athlete destroyed her rivals by her turn of pace.

'I have been working on my sprinting. Now my aim is to get in the final at the English Schools and go as far as I can in the sport,' she said.

Before then, Hannah and Laura aim for medals at the Northern Championships and will hope for more county titles at the Cheshire Schools event next month.

Vale Royal ended the weekend with 17 county champions - without a single thrower among them - but a third Best Performance Award was made to Mid-Cheshire College student Will Lowndes, 18, who won the senior hammer (57m), the shot in a championship best 15.27m and discus, 40m. Lowndes is a Liverpool Harrier and ex-Vale Royal member.

Gold medals were also won by Becky Ellis 1,500m 4:45.00; Simon Ruscoe 5k 16.14; Karen Ellison 5k 18.36; Steve Mitchell U20s 3k 9.46 and 1,500m 4.19; Alex Carter 400m 57.29 and 800m 2.09; Hayley Jones U17s 100m 12.6 and 300m 41.48 (new record); Lee Davenport U17s 400m 53.32; Glen George U17s 1,500m 4.28; Morgan Brown U17s 200m 25.87; Stevie Stockton U17s 3k 10.22 (nr); James Griffiths U17s 800m 1.59; Gemma Lievesley U20s 3k 11.02; George Thompson 800m 2.07; Thomas Stringer U20s 400m 60.00.