YORK College 'A'-level student Simon Marks aims to be top of the class in Australia.

He sets off Down Under later this week to represent Northern Ireland at fencing in a version of the Commonwealth Games.

The 17-year-old former Clifton Preparatory and Manor School pupil is heading to Newcastle in Australia to represent his country.

The competition is for sports which are affiliated to the Commonwealth movement, but did not feature at the Games in Manchester this summer.

Simon, of Askham Grove, Acomb, was born in Newtownards, County Down, but moved to York as a baby with his parents Danielle and Ashley.

He took up fencing at the age of six and is a member of the Yorkshire and Great Britain Boys squads.

Simon is coached at Harrogate Fencing Club by Brian Matless and is being joined in the Northern Ireland team by mother-and-son by club colleagues Kate and Roy Elvin from Boston Spa.

FIVE York youngsters have battled through to the final of the Schools' Modern Biathlon Championships at Rugby on February 16.

The top six performers in each age group went through from the Northern Schools' qualifying round at Penrith, Cumbria.

Sophie Hunter (Millthorpe) was second in the year seven girls event achieving a personal best run in the 1,000 metres of three minutes 45.80 seconds to go with a 50metre swim of 39.56 secs.

Philip Graves (Archbishop Holgate) was runner-up in the year nine boys event having his best-ever run in 3-17.96 and clocked 1-2.61 for his 1000m swim.

Year 19 girls' athlete Lauren Mason (Tadcaster) was another runner-up, doing a personal best in the 1,000m of 3-29.90, swimming her 100m in 1-06.63.

Also through to Rugby is Victoria Graves (Archbishop Holgate), who finished fourth in the year eight girls' event, timing 36.25 for her 50m swim and 3-48.59. Laura Hunter (Millthorpe) finished sixth in the year nine girls' event to go through to the finals. She swam her 100m in 1-21.24 and ran her 1,000m in 4-0.4secs.

Just missing out on qualification for Rugby were Charlotte Mason (Copmanthorpe) and Katie Hunter (Millthorpe). Charlotte was eighth in the year five girls, swimming her 50m in 46.99 and clocked 4-32.85.

Katie was ninth in the year seven girls event timing 4-3.36 for the 1,000m run and 42.87 for her 50m swim.

Netball

North Yorkshire's netball teams, which included several York-area players, struggled against Lancashire and Merseyside at Joseph Rowntree School.

Results: Under 14s v Lancashire, lost 5-53, v Merseyside won 26-20, Under 16s v Lancaster lost 9-56, v Merseyside lost 20-28.

Braced to

halt Notts

invasion

BOTH the City Boys Under-11 and U12 football teams will be in action on Saturday when they entertain Nottingham.

However, Robert Wilkinson School players Ryan Hallison and Billy Gregory, plus Clifton Without's Mike Duckworth and Joe Fox, have had to pull out of the U11 squad as their schools are taking part in the county six-a-side finals.

Ryan Qualter (Huntington) has been added to the squad which meets at York Railway Institute Ground, New Lane, at 9.45am, for a 10.30am kick off. Players are to take with them their £2 fee.

Both the U14 and U15 matches at Middlesbrough have been called off. A new date has yet to be arranged.

Meanwhile, second round matches in the Primary Cup competition must be completed by Thursday, February 28.

Second round ties are: Osbaldwick/English Martyrs v Hob Moor/Park Grove; Clifton Without v Clifton Green; Westfield v Robert Wilkinson; Ralph Butterfield v Lakeside; Bishopthorpe v Knavesmire; Haxby Road/St Mary's v Barlby Bridge; St Wilfrid's v Dringhouses/St Aelred's; Riverside/Scarcroft v Hempland.

Quarter-finals must be played by Friday, March 21.

Results

Wilf Meek U14 Cup: Sherburn 3, Tadcaster 4

Primary Cup: Barlby Bridge walk over against Woodthorpe.

U13 Jubilee League

P W D L F A Pts

Archbishop's 3 3 0 0 13 6 9

Manor 2 1 0 1 5 6 4

Tadcaster 1 1 0 0 3 1 3

Millthorpe 2 0 0 2 2 6 2

Fulford 1 0 0 1 2 3 1

Canon Lee 1 0 0 1 3 6 1

U13 Jorvic League

Huntington 3 3 0 0 18 0 9

All Saints 2 1 0 1 2 5 4

Oaklands 1 1 0 0 7 0 3

Burnholme 2 0 0 2 1 9 2

Joseph Rowntree 2 0 0 2 0 14 2

Lowfield 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

U14 League

Joseph Rowntree 4 2 0 2 10 10 8

Fulford 2 2 0 0 15 4 6

All Saints 2 1 0 1 7 4 4

Archbishop's 2 1 0 1 6 8 4

Millthorpe 1 1 0 0 4 3 3

Oaklands 1 1 0 0 3 2 3

Huntington 3 0 0 3 4 18 3

Tadcaster 1 0 1 0 2 2 2

Canon Lee 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

U15 League

Joseph Rowntree 4 4 0 0 23 8 12

Tadcaster 4 1 2 1 7 5 8

Fulford 3 2 0 1 25 5 7

All Saints 3 1 1 1 13 12 6

Burnholme 2 1 1 0 6 4 5

Oaklands 3 0 2 1 8 11 5

Huntington 2 1 0 1 8 9 4

Millthorpe 2 0 1 1 5 6 3

Bootham 2 0 0 2 2 25 2

Lowfield 1 0 0 1 0 9 1

Archbishop's 1 0 0 1 2 5 1

Canon Lee 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

U16 (Ebor) League

Manor 3 2 0 1 7 5 7

Fulford 4 1 0 3 7 9 6

All Saints 3 0 1 2 6 9 4

Barlby 1 1 0 0 1 0 3

Huntington 1 1 0 0 4 3 3

Sherburn 1 1 0 0 2 1 3

Oaklands 1 0 1 0 2 2 2

Canon Lee 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

U16 (Minster) League

Tadcaster 3 1 2 0 6 2 7

Joseph Rowntree 3 0 2 1 2 6 5

Millthorpe 2 1 0 1 6 5 4

Archbishop's 2 1 0 1 6 7 4

Lowfield 1 1 0 0 7 2 3

Bootham 1 0 0 1 1 6 1

Brayton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Burnholme 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

It is not possible to publish the two Under-12 tables due to a shortage of results.

Updated: 13:49 Wednesday, November 06, 2002