JAVELIN ace Neil McLellan retained a national title with a lifetime best performance. McLellan, the Stevenage and North Herts athlete, retained his UK Athletics Challenge title in a tight competition at Manchester on Sunday. He threw another lifetime s be

JAVELIN ace Neil McLellan retained a national title with a lifetime best performance.

McLellan, the Stevenage and North Herts athlete, retained his UK Athletics Challenge title in a tight competition at Manchester on Sunday.

He threw another lifetime's best of 72.58m to win the competition from James Campbell, the Scottish record holder.

It was the third time this season that McLellan had broken his own club javelin record. This was another example of how he has progressed this year following on from his recent Great Britain selection.

Emma Kemp also made this prestigious meeting and she was third in the 400m, clocking one-hundredth outside her personal best with 54.87.

Eight club members were representing Hertfordshire at the Thames Valley Athletic Centre at Eton in the high-class Southern Counties under-15 and under-20 inter-county match.

Placed second in only her fourth pole vault competition, Anne Rees (first year under-15) soared over 2.70m.

This personal best will put her into the top 10 in the country.

Another second place in her pole vault event went to Louise Shortland (under-20), clearing 3.30m.

Nick Stoppard - rapidly making a name for himself with the range of events he is successful in - posted a personal best in the under-15 shot, being placed sixth with 11.36m.

He earlier ran an 800m heat in 2:11.81, another personal best.

Carrying on the example set by his team-mate, Lewis Keeble, right at the bottom of the under-15 age group having turned 13 this month, ran the 1500m in 4:44.03, knocking seven seconds off his previous best.

Jasmine Forde (under-20) also clocked a personal best in her 800m heat with 2:23.75 and Sara Bailey (under-20) ran a season's best 1500m in 4:48.87.

Also competing were Laurie Pirie (under-20 high jump, 1.80m) and Kayleigh Pybus (under-20 shot 9.34m, and discus 26.94m).

Hayley Beard continued her comeback from a long spell of injuries.

She clocked 2:07.97 for a season's best 800m time, being beaten in this 'open mixed' race by her clubmate Adam Searle who clocked a personal best time of 2:05.23.

The race after this saw Jo Mansell (under-17) clocking 2:16.91, just seven-hundredths off her best.

P Clifton schoolboy Ryan Parker represented Bedfordshire at the SEAA inter-counties championships on Saturday at Eton.

He was the only 15-year-old taking part in the under-20 men's 1500m race.

Ryan finished in fourth place with a new best time of 4:02.99 - only half a second off breaking the Bedford and County club record.

He will be representing the Eastern Counties in the UK School Games in Glasgow next weekend.

The games are going to be televised on the BBC and Ryan will be competing in the 3000m.