January 17, 2001 12:14: TWO young hurdlers with Blackheath Harriers AC returned from a summer of injury misery to strike gold at the Southern Indoor Champion-ships at Bedford.

Katy Porter and Mohammed Sillah Freckleton both retained the indoor titles they won last year and both set personal bests.

Katy, from West Wickham, confessed to feeling nervous in her first race back but, the 18 year-old Energize TV presenter showed a clean pair of heels to the opposition, winning the

junior womens 60 metre hurd-les in 8.9seconds.

Sillah Freckleton maintained his 100 per cent record in the senior mens race and clocked 8.1sec in his second year in this age group.

The Harriers have both the current Southern Indoor and Outdoor Senior mens hurdles champions.

Outdoor title-holder Mensah Elliott, who was fourth fastest in the country in 2000, chose to miss these championships and compete at the Birmingham Games instead. But his hopes of attaining a World Indoor Championship qualifying time were dashed when he clattered the first hurdle in the final.

Outdoors, 19 year-old Dan Ayrton finished 12th in the Hastings 10km in 33min 33sec. The race organisers offered a car to anyone breaking 28:30 for the extremely tough course and attracted a number of Kenyan athletes.

Ayrton was the seventh Briton home and would have been a couple of minutes quicker on a flatter course.

Roy Smith was the runaway winner of the clubs Open 10km and Veterans Championships race at Hayes.

Jennie Butler used the race as a training run but still won by more than four minutes from track specialist Karyn OMahoney.

Anne Cilia took the veterans title from Cath Messent, who was competing in her first race since becoming a mother.

At the first committee meeting of the year, members were saddened to hear of the death of Phil Saxon, one of the clubs vice presidents. Aged 79, he had been a member for more than 54 years.

The Harriers have received applications for more than 30 new members, many of whom are joining under the Clubs scholarship scheme for under-15 athletes. Anyone aged 14 and under joining between now and the end of 2001 will be exempt from paying a subscription until the 1st of January 2002.

For further details, call Dave Liston on 01322 663504. Alternatively, visit Norman Park track from 6.30pm on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and ask for Dave or Michelle Bovell.