EXCITING teenage pole-vaulter Mark Christie has hoisted himself to the top of the UK under-20 rankings with a best-ever clearance of 4.96m.

Now the 18-year-old Wearsider, who competes for British Athletics League club Sale, of Manchester, is on track to achieve the European Under-20 Championships qualifying mark of 5.10m.

Christie, the North-East and Northern under-20 champion, was hugely disappointed to be one of five vaulters who no-heighted on his Great Britain debut in last weekend's Loughborough International. But he bounced back to top form in the midweek North-East Athletics League at the Monkton Stadium by improving on his previous best competitive clearance by 15 centimetres.

Now Christie, who just failed to clear 5.01m at Jarrow, is confident that, in the right conditions, he can win himself a place in Great Britain's European Junior Championships team. He said: "I know I've got it in me to clear 5.10m - I sailed over when the bar was at 4.85m and if it had been set at 5.10 I might have cleared it."

Christie's next attempt at the qualifying mark is likely to be in the North of England Track and Field Championships at Manchester next Saturday.

* Terry Wall, who was a member of the winning Morpeth team when he finished 14th in the Blaydon Race on Monday night, is likely to start favourite in tomorrow's 3M Newton Aycliffe 10K.

Although late entries may yet produce a serious challenger the Durham City baker is the top name received in advance by the race organisers, with last year's winner, Stewy Bell and his Chester-le-Street clubmate, Martin Scaife, who won two years ago, among the absentees.

Last year's women's winner, Bernadette Taylor, had the misfortune of having her £100 prize vouchers stolen from her handbag a few days after the race.

The Darlington Harrier - winner of the Darlington 10K - will be trying to win first prize again, though this has been reduced to £75 to improve awards further down the field. The race starts at 10.30am and will be preceded by a 3K fun run (9.30). Late entries will be accepted before the main event in the race headquarters in Greenfield Art College

* The region's best young athletes will be trying to win selection for next month's English Schools Championships at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium when Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland hold their county championships today.