YORK'S Jenny Whitehead has earned her first call-up to the senior British orienteering squad.

The former Queen Anne School pupil finished second in the first British selection race of the year in Finland when only world champion Yvette Baker finished ahead of her.

She consolidated her position with third in the short race the next day.

That was enough to book a return ticket to Finland in the British Team for the Nordic Open Championships on June 6-10.

She flies out on June 1 for pre-race training near Helsinki and has just completed training sessions in Bishopwood near Selby, and at Aviemore in Scotland.

Whitehead said: "I was absolutely delighted with my run and the result. After a couple of years of being unlucky and just missing out on a few races it was really nice to give the selectors no option but to pick me."

She is spending almost all of her time in Scandinavia at the moment as there are still no races in Britain due to the foot and mouth crisis.

Whitehead is also reserve for the first relay team that contains the three women who won the bronze medal in the European Open Championships last year - Baker, Heather Monro and Jenny James.

Monro is currently getting back to running after a stress fracture in her foot while James is recovering from a bike accident so it could be a nerve-wracking week for Whitehead.

"I think I would be even more nervous than I was at the selection races if I was in that relay team. But I hope I would be able to hold it together especially as at the World Championships the relay team is made up of four runners."

The World Championships are also being held in Finland from July 27 to August 5 and there are further selection races for the team in July.

Another major goal is the World Games (for non-Olympic Sports) to be held in Japan in August. Although there are three places available for British Women, the squad management have decided there is not enough money available to send a full team so Whitehead has just missed out once again with Monro and James selected.

Updated: 11:36 Saturday, May 26, 2001