THREE local girls have won medals at the English Junior Fell Championships, which reached their conclusion recently at the Viking Chase in Cleveland.

Elizabeth Greenwood was second under 12, fellow Blackburn Harrier Sally Searson was third under 14, and Emma Spencer from Pendle Athletic Club took third in the under 16s.

They were presented with their medals at the ‘Junior Do’ which took place at the Carlton Lodge Outdoor Centre near Thirsk immediately after the final race.

Spencer will now be handed an England debut at the Home International this Sunday where she will be joined in the U16 girls’ team by Beckie Taylor of Blackburn Harriers, while Rossendale’s Joe Johnston has been selected for the U16 boys’ race.

The Championships comprised of six races spanning the months April to September, with everybody’s four best results counting towards their final score.

All the races were in the North this year, visiting East Lancashire once for the Darwen Gala Race in August.

It was the first year of competition for Elizabeth Greenwood who was too young until her 10th birthday.

Early in the season the Read youngster became the British Schools’ Biathlon Champion and her fell racing career is set to be equally successful as she won at Darwen and was second in the four other races she entered.

Abby-Mae Parkinson beat her on all four occasions to take the title, but she is a year older and will move into the U14s next year, while Elizabeth will remain in the U12s.

Sally Searson was also battling against older girls this season in the U14s after winning the U12 Championship last year. She finished with third in Cleveland, but couldn’t add to her score as she had already had two seconds and two thirds.

Third place in the U16s for Emma Spencer represented a great improvement as she was third U14 in 2008 when at the top of her age band.

Two seconds and two thirds was enough to convince the England selectors.

All of the England Teams will be four strong with a travelling reserve, and with four girls completely dominating the U16s this summer, fourth placed Beckie Taylor was a shoo-in.

The International match is only for U16s and U18s and the Blackburn Harrier made her England debut in her first eligible year 12 months ago in Edinburgh. This year it will be at Sedbergh near Kendal.

Rossendale duo Emma Flanagan and Ashley Kay were picked for England last year, but have missed out this time around as Emma only ran in three races to finish seventh in the U18s, and Ashley could manage only fifth in the U18s after taking the U16 title 12 months ago.

In form Joe Johnston made a successful late bid by finishing second U16 in the Viking Chase. He tied for 5th with Todmorden’s Sean Carey over the season, and the selectors went with recent form.