YOUNG athletes in their late teens, particularly girls, find it difficult to come back to the sport following a long break.

But 19-year-old Fiona Clark (Crawley) has bucked the trend by returning from injury after two years to complete a county hat-trick.

She made a big impact in 1998 by finishing second in the Sussex Club and Schools' Cross Country Championships. Then she led Sussex home in the South East and All England Schools' Championships.

The following summer she won the senior girls' 3,000m title at the Sussex Schools' Championships and was fourth in the national event.

Then she went down with tendinitis.

She said: " I developed it in my feet. I think it was because I had been running and racing in cheap trainers and spikes and could not get rid of the problem.

"I lost the cross country season when I was aiming to build up my stamina for the track season to make a serious attempt for a medal in my last year at All England Schools "Unfortunately the injury persisted and that coupled with my A levels meant I lost all of the 2000 track season and then it was off to college at Chichester.

"Having lost all of the last year, I managed to get back into gentle running early this year and since then I have been trying to regain my form.

"The track season has gone reasonably well and I was pleased to win the Sussex 1,500m and 3,000m title in May and the 5,000m a couple of weeks ago."

Her winning time of 18min. 18.5sec was six seconds outside her best of two years back, but only bettered by one other Sussex woman, Sarah Davey (Worthing), this season.

She said: "I am not quite back to the form I showed at the end of the 1999 season but I'm now back at College at Chichester and I'm really looking forward to a good cross country season and improving my times next track season."

If she can steer clear of injury, Fiona should boost Sussex in the cross country season with Julia Downes (Brighton and Hove) absent in America.

Another reason why late teens are lost to athletics is education.

But Darryl Hards (Phoenix) is determined to balance his sport with study.

Hards, Sussex Schools' senior boys cross country and 1,500m title holder, is at Leicester University to study history and politics.

He said: "I will not be that far from Loughborough and I aim to make connections with one of the many groups that operate there. Although it too far to make regular trips back home, I am hoping to be back for the major county events."

Hards has the talent to make a considerable impact on university athletics providing he can find a university training group at the University.

Horsham Blue Star steeplechaser Anthony Bourne is off to Liverpool where there is a known athletics population and a strong club.

Jo Southern, also Horsham, has eased back on her athletics this season because of A levels but made several appearances in the Southern Women' League squad.

She is off to Bath where she is aiming to link up with fellow Horsham sprinter Sarah Tomlins.

Hastings lose a whole group of young ladies to education.

Sprinter and all rounder Angela Wapole starts at Kingston, but the Surrey college has a good athletic tradition.

Middle distance runners Lucy Loughman, Kate Wilson and Allison Cutting all head north to Sheffield, also an athletics area, while Jeannie Sanderson is off to Lancaster.

I would be pleased to hear of any other Sussex athletes who are off to university this year.

LYNN Williams (Arena 80) could be lost to the county. The former national road running and South of England 3,000m champion looks set to move to a new job at Watford.

With a young daughter, regular journeys back to Sussex to race, let alone fitting in training, may mean we wave goodbye to a talented athlete yet to reach her potential.

Lynn will line up with her clubmates for the South of England Women's Road Relay Championship at Aldershot tomorrow. Arena 80 were fourth last year.

Crawley hope Fiona Clark will compete.