Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Athletic Club consolidated their lead at the top of the North of England League Division 2 in the third match of the season at Spring Hall, Halifax, last weekend.

Nia Rutter, younger sister of the "Gladiators" Panther, was again the club's star performer with no less than three "A" event wins at Halifax.

Nia was an easy winner in her specialist event, the triple jump, with 11.15m and the 100m hurdles in a time of 17.7 secs but she was pushed all the way in the long jump where she norrowly beat Beth Hurst of East Cheshire Harriers by a single centimetre with 5.06m to 5.05m.

BWFAC reigned supreme in the mens distance races with comfortable wins achieved by Kirkham's Luke Minns in the 800m in 1 min 58.6 secs; Antony Ford in the 1500m in 3 mins, 54.4 secs and Lytham's Jono Prowse in the 5000m in 15 mins 02.8 secs.

Gemma Unsworth continued her recent good form with an easy win in the women's 3000m in 10 mins 35.8 secs whilst in the field events, Alex Billington won the triple jump with 12.40 m and Matt Wright was a class ahead of the rest of the field in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.80m.

However this height was a full 1/2 metre less than he achieved in the England Athletics Junior Championships at Bedford, the previous weekend.

The club also produced five "B" race winners with Ted Romney winning the 200m in 23.1 secs and 400m in 50.8 secs although he was 1.2 seconds slower than his club mate Brent Starkie who is rapidly regaining his old form, breaking the 50 second barrier for the first time this year with 2nd place in the "A" race in a superb time of 49.6 secs.

Tom Cunningham was also an easy winner in the 1500m "B" race in a time of 4 mins 02.7 secs which eclipsed all the "A" race competitors with the exception of the winner, Blackpool International Antony Ford.

Other "B" race winners were veteran champion, Carolyn Robbins in the 1500m in 5 mins 07.9 secs and Sarah Goff in the 100m.hurdles with 23.00 secs whilst in the field events, Darrell Constantine, won the pole vault with 3.40m and Jon Rutter, the triple jump with 11.87m.

Pick of the mens sprinters was Alex Bale who was unlucky to be judged runner-up to Thaddous Amin-Somnan of St Helens in the 100m with both athletes given the same time of 11.4 secs Alex was also third in the 200m in a time of 22.9 secs.

"A" race runners-up at Halifax were Jon Rutter in the 110m hurdles in 21.50 secs; Alex Billington in the long jump with 5.70m; Gemma Unsworth in the 1500m in 4 mins 56.8 secs whilst valuable third place points were gained by Luke Wood in the 3000m steeplechase in 11 mins 56.9 secs; Shane Ellershaw in the hammer throw event with 33.01m; Leigh Newton in the 200m in 27.4 secs; Nia Rutter in the 400m hurdles in 79.7 secs and shot putt with 8.87m and Katy Holder in the high jump with 1.35m.