Croydon's young international 400m runner Martyn Rooney was yesterday selected for the English Commonwealth Games squad for the Championships to be held in Melbourne in March.

The 18-year-old European U20 individual silver and relay gold medallist, has the thrilling opportunity to fly to Australia to add a Commonwealth 4x400m relay gong to his fast increasing collection.

Coach Mike Fleet, himself a Commonwealth Games runner in Australia in 1962, believes that Rooney's relay selection is ideal experience in view of his long term athletic ambitions.

Mike said: "I am delighted for him. He certainly thoroughly deserves his selection. Martyn is mature and calm, and will use the opportunity to his own best advantage, and to that of the relay team, which certainly has medal potential."

Club colleague, Olympian Donna Fraser, triple winner at the UK Athletics Challenge at Manchester last Sunday, thoroughly earned her Commonwealth selection being picked for both the 200m, 400m and the 4x400m and is looking forward to the challenge with confidence.

Fraser, who bettered both her 100m and 200m bests with windy marks of 11.36sec and 22.80sec after having won her speciality the 400m in 52.30sec, sang the praises of her physio who cleared up recent injury problems for her.

Southern Women's League Croydon Harriers Women finished their league season with a fine winning flourish at Central Park, Dartford, last Saturday.

The enthusiastic squad featured several newcomers, and interestingly two mother/daughter duos.

U17 Kayleigh Ferguson had a really good afternoon, with wins in the 100m, 200m and the 80m hurdles. She took the 100m in 13.3sec, well supported by B string Naseau Keita who won too in 13.5sec, and shone in her favourite event the 80m hurdles with a fine winning display in 12.6sec. Keita was also second in the long jump with a 4.29m clearance.

Odette Campbell won the 400m comfortably in 67.9sec and followed up with second in the high jump at 1.40m Another 17-year-old, Louise Aldhous, did well on her debut, winning the 300m hurdles in 61.8sec despite falling at the last hurdle. Undaunted, the Old Palace pupil later tackled the 300m to good effect and finished second in 14:08.4.

The club's younger athletes acquitted themselves well too. U15 Daisy Campbell, 1.43m, and U13 Hannah Thompson, 1.30m, scored maximum points in the high jump. Daisy was second in the 800m in 2:31.7 and won the 200m in 28.7sec. Hannah won the B string well in 32.8sec. Natalie Ferguson ran well to win the B 800m. Newcomer Ailsa Kirkham acquitted herself well with a second place in the 1500m and a second in the B shot. Vilma Pasilionysak was A shot runner-up with a 7.42m put.