Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Athletic Club's senior track and field squad qualified for the Northern League Final at Sports City Manchester next month with an outstanding performance at the Stanley Park Arena, last weekend.

The club finished with 189 points, just 5 points behind the mighty Trafford Athletic Club of Manchester, out of the seven teams competing, with only the first two clubs qualifying for the final.

The most outstanding performance of the day was undoubtedly, Antony Ford's resounding victory in the 5000m endurance event in a time of 14 mins 24.3 secs where he lapped the entire field with the exception of Scott Evans of Bury AC who clocked 15 mins 27.0 secs in second place.

It was good to see Corrie McRae in action again, after an absence of three years, and her convincing victory in the javelin event with a throw of 32.39m proved that she has lost little of her prowess in this specialist event.

BWFAC athletes dominated the middle distance events with Lytham's Jono Prowse accelerating away on the last lap to easily take the 1500m crown in a time of 4 mins 02.4 secs whilst Kirkham's Luke Minns comfortably won the 800m in 1 min 59.9 secs and Brent Starkie won the 400m, at a canter, in 50.3 secs.

The club's sprint queen, Laura Davies, was in a class of her own in the 100m which she won by a clear five yards in 12.5 secs with Katy Wyper just holding off Southport's Lauren Brennan to take the 200m sprint in 26.4 secs to Brennan's 26.5 secs.

Nia Rutter duly triumphed in the triple jump with a distance of 11.97m and Laurie Needham rose to the occasion by easily winning the pole vault competition with a superb clearance of 4.00m.

In her first solo competition for almost three years, Leigh Newton ran a strong 400m to take second place behind Southport's Stephanie May in a time of 62.2 secs and Gemma Unsworth ran a season's best time of 10 mins 29.5 secs for second place in the 3000m behind Lancaster's junior international, Louise Gardner.

The club's one lap specialist, Ted Romney, sharpened up his speedwork with a competant time of 23.2 secs for second place in the 200m and Katy Wyper and Nia Rutter both claimed runner-up spots in the long jump and shot putt events with distances of 5.02m and 10.32m respectively.

BWFAC youngsters, Damian Clayson and Natasha Butler outclassed the senior athletes in the opposing teams by winning both the mens and womens high jump events with clearances of 1.70m and 1.50m.

The final events of the afternoon produced convincing wins for the club's womens 4 X 100m sprint relay squad of Katy Wyper, Nia Rutter, Leigh Newton and Laura Davies to record 51.2 secs whilst the mens 4 X 400m squad of Ted Romney, Luke Minns, Brent Starkie and Alex Bale went one better by establishing a new club record of 3 mins 26.6 secs which equates to four circuits of the track at an average speed of 51.7 seconds per lap.

Solid 3rd placings were also achieved by Stuart Robinson in the 10,000m with 34 mins 35.8 secs; Grant Myerscough in the discus with 29.67m; Laurence Harwood in the hammer throw with 42.09m and the club's two national veteran champions, Dave Myerscough in the shot putt with 10.29m and Carolyn Robbins in the 1500m with 5 mins 14.1 secs.

The club's former Lancs Cross Country champion, veteran, Phil Leybourne, also produced a sterling performance to take 4th place in the arduous 3000m steeplechase event in a time of 11 mins 02.3 secs.

The previous weekend, several of the club's yougsters were in action in the England Athletics under 17/15 championships at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

Lucy Mansfield was the most successful local athlete, placing 4th in the 300m sprint with a time of 40.86 secs behind the winner, Victoria Ohuruogu, the younger sister of the new Olympic and World 400m gold medallist, Christine Ohuruogu.

Other performances by BWFAC athletes at Birmingham were James Davies triple jump 12.59m; Katy Wyper 200m 26.51 secs; Bianca Pederson 800m 2 mins 4.08 secs and Beth Towers 75m. hurdles. 12.01 secs and long jump 5.02m.