FLASHING blade Abbi Matthews is celebrating a top of the class performance, writes Dave Stanford.

Matthews, 13, a pupil at the Mount School, York, took first place in the Under-13 epe section of the Public Schools Fencing Championships staged at Crystal Palace.

Matthews overcame strong opposition to lift the crown in her first attempt.

Her success follows a second-place claimed in the Under-15 epee section of the Leon Paul series of fencing competitions, staged at venues throughout the country.

Some 26 girls from the Mount School aged 16 to 18 will be running in the Race for Life event on Knavesmire on May 11.

The girls, all members of the schools netball and hockey squads, are using the 5km race as preparation for a summer tour of Barbados in July while also raising funds for breast cancer research.

Updated: 11:50 Wednesday, April 30, 2003