POLE-VAULTERS Kate Dennison and Steve Lewis maintained their domination by topping the UK senior rankings for the fourth successive year.

Alsager's Dennison, who competes for Sale Harriers, had a remarkable year, breaking the British record on nine occasions.

She started the year by wiping Janine Whitlock's record from the books in the UK Indoor Championships, where she claimed the title with a leap of 4.45m.

Among her many fine performances was a sixth-placed finish at the World Championships in Berlin.

Dennison crowned her season earlier on this month at the Pedro's Cup in Szczecin, Poland, where she took the British record to a new height, again by clearing 4.60m to finish in third place.

Steve Lewis (Newham and Essex Beagles) maintained his number one ranking with a personal best of 5.72m, set in the Bochum international competition in Germany.

The Light Oaks vaulter also had the distinction of finishing seventh in the World Championships.

Andrew Marsh (City of Stoke) also features in the pole vault list in 16th, with a best of 4.80m.

Sneyd Green hurdler Nick Gayle, who competes for Sale Harriers, retains his eighth place from last year in the 110m hurdles.

He produced a new personal best of 13.94 in the McCain Birmingham Games in July.

Nantwich athlete Dominic Bradley (Birchfield Harriers) is 24th, with a best of 14.53.

Birches Head sprint international Alex Nelson is listed 36th in the 100m.

However, this is far below his normal ranking, because apart from one outing in May, he was sidelined with injury.

Robin Smith (City of Stoke) claims 16th spot in the decathlon with a total of 6,716 points.

One encouraging aspect of the senior rankings this year is the large number of local athletes from the younger age groups featuring in high positions.

Two City of Stoke AC members feature high in the women's lists.

A brilliant 11.36 run by under-20 Ashlee Nelson in the 100m at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Berlin, sees her ranked in second place.

She also clocked 23.73 to be in 17th spot in the 200m list.

A superb performance from Emma Jackson in the 800m – she finished fifth in the European Under-23 Championships final with a best of 2.02.09 – has left her in eighth place.

Another under-23 competitor, Stevie Stockton, from Crewe, claims 17th place in the 1,500m.

The men's rankings show IAAF World Youth champion Ben Williams (City of Stoke) is fifth in the triple jump, with his personal best of 16.09m.

Pole vault ace Lewis coaches next generation: Page 21