Lewis is a Lewes star

Last season the Lewes club were unable to assemble a team for the first two matches.

But on Saturday they finished in third place, behind Haywards Heath (159.5 points) and East Grinstead (133.5 pts), a full 88 points clear of Braintree.

The provisional League table after just one match sees Lewes in mid-table, placed eighth of the 17 competing clubs.

Jessica Lewis, who has just come off a good cross-country season, made an excellent start to her first season in the Under 17 age '“ which means for League purposes she races mostly against senior athletes '“ by notching up a hat trick of victories.

In the first track event of the afternoon, the Under 17 300m hurdles, Lewis made a winning debut in the event by clocking a useful 49.7sec, a time that will see her well able to hold her own against most Sussex opposition this season.

Lewis completed her hat-trick of victories by clearing 1.35m to win the high jump, then taking the 1,500 metres towards the end of the afternoon in 5m21.6s.

She then took a leg in the winning 4x400m relay team that clocked 4m23.1s at the end of the afternoon.

Newcomer Liz Wells was an impressive winner of the pole vault clearing 2.20m '“ well clear of her nearest rival '“ and she also won the 'B' high jump with a clearance of 1.30m.

Roxie Blackwell, after a good second place in the 400m hurdles in 94.4sec, had a runaway victory in the 3,000m, clocking 12m43.3s.

Lizzie Keep strode to a convincing 800m victory in 2m44.9s and finished third in the 'B' discus, while mum Pauline popped up all over the place gathering points for the team; in the 400m hurdles, the 800m, the 3,000m, and the hammer.

In the Under 15 events Bella King had a clear-cut victory in the 1,500m in 5m26.2s after clocking a nippy 28.7sec for second place in the 200m.

Competing for the Brighton & Hove team in the Division One match at the same venue, Uckfield's Laura Burton, who has had a good cross country season, ducked under 11 minutes for the first time when she took second place in 10m49.8s, 15 seconds faster than she had ever run before.

At Eastbourne, where the home club were competing and winning their first match in DivisionTwo of the Southern Women's League, Hailsham's Sarah Moore started her season well with a personal best of 29.02m to win the javelin throw.

But she was not so happy with a modest clearance of 1.50m to win the high jump.

Sarah, however, did notch up a third victory, clearing 1.80m to win the pole vault.

Meanwhile, mum Val, who has been training with her daughter, cleared the same height to win the 'B' competition.