A TEAM of young athletes from Guisborough are preparing to compete in the finals of a national schools competition tomorrow.

The junior boys team from Laurence Jackson school will be up against 11 other regional winners after qualifying for the finals of the Sky Sports Track and Field Cup.

They make the trip to Basildon in Essex after winning the Cleveland district round at Clairville stadium in May and then the Northern final at Gateshead stadium.

It is the first time in the 20 years the competition has been running that the school has been represented in the finals by a boys' team, although a girls' team has competed in the past.

PE teacher Les Thompson said: "The team's success is unusual in that not one of them is a club athlete, but they make a strong and dedicated team."

The 14 athletes are Mark Shimwell, Jonathan Paisley, Scott Allison, Kieran Jones, Jonathan Whiles, Tony Conway, Arran Motson, Gavin Riches, Luke Tucker, Carl Glass, Carl Booth, Scott Dixon, Tony McLaren and Tim Cook.