EXCELLENT performances were produced as Warrington Athletics Club hosted the third round of the McCain’s National Young Athletes League at Victoria Park against Blackpool Wyre and Fylde AC, Gateshead Harriers and Kingston-upon-Hull AC.

Warrington and Gateshead were very close until the final events and the result moves the club up to eighth place, giving the team a great chance to remain in the Premier Division for next season.

The most thrilling race came in the under 15s boys’ 1,500m, where Northern 800m champion Jack Gleave faced up to Kingston’s James Lamswood, who had finished fourth behind him at the Northern.

As they entered the finishing straight Gleave, who won the 200m in a personal best time, moved out to pass Lamswood but was fought off as they ran shoulder to shoulder down the straight as they recorded the sixth and seventh fastest times in the country this year.

James Gladman produced two grade-one performances, smashing his personal best time as he finished in second place in the 100m and then he stormed away with the 100m hurdles event.

Those two performances earned Gladman, who also took the 400m hurdles race in a personal best time, the club’s male athlete of the match award.

In the women’s events, Sarah Lewis produced a grade one time in her 80m hurdles, missing qualifying for the English Schools by a tenth of a second but had the consolation of being the club’s female athlete of the match.