A WISBECH teenager has been invited to take part in a major international athletics event. Ross McConnachie, 15, will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of British international sprinter Craig Pickering, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at last

A WISBECH teenager has been invited to take part in a major international athletics event.

Ross McConnachie, 15, will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of British international sprinter Craig Pickering, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at last year's World Championships, when he competes in the Bedford International Games, on June 1.

McConnachie will be racing against some of the top junior athletes in the region.

Many senior internationals will be competing separately and using the event as a warm up to the Beijiing Olympics, which start in August.

The teenager secured the invite by winning a bronze medal in the men's under-17 event of the Cambridgeshire Amateur Athletics Championships, in Peterborough on Saturday.

This was only the fourth time McConnachie has taken part in an athletics competition and he recorded a personal best time of 11.9secs.

Coach Paul Merrell said: "Ross has only been training since last October so for him to be finishing under 12 seconds is incredible.

"This will be a great experience for him and he's aiming to be a senior international within two years, so to be rubbing shoulders with so many top names will be a great experience for him and hopefully a taste of things to come.

"Ross is a very level-headed young lad and he needs to make sure he doesn't get too carried away and remains focused."

Two Fenland athletes became county champions at the AA Championships.

Nicholas Stone, from March, won the men's under-15 3,000km champion in a personal best time of 10.12.9.

Laura Arnold, from Whittlesey, won a gold medal in the woman's under-15 800m, in a time of 2.28.1 and won silver in the 300m in 44.8, both personal bests.

Josh Chaplain-Barton, from Friday Bridge, won a silver medal in the men's under-17s 400m and a bronze in the 200m for the category.

Robyn Gribble, from Wisbech, finished fourth in the woman's under-17s 300m.