Cumbrian athlete Abbie Hetherington has enjoyed a great start to the 2017 indoor US track season.

The 21-year-old Wigton middle distance runner got the year under way in style by winning the 800m race at the Holiday Inn Invitational Meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Abbie is a member of the Oklahoma State University athletic team and is on a four-year scholarship in America, similar to the scholarship fellow Cumbrian athlete Tom Farrell had been on at the same university in USA.

Although the winning time was three seconds off her current PB, Abbie wasn't too concerned.

She said: "It was the first race of the season and, after the Christmas break, I was a little race rusty.

"But I'm confident faster times will come this season in the 1500m and 3000m as well as the 800m races.

"It was good for my confidence to get a win under my belt."

The win also meant a lot for Abbie on a personal level.

She added: "My Nanna passed away just before Christmas, we were really close.

"She was always the first to message me to see how my race went, so I would like to dedicate that win to my Nanna."

Abbie's next race will be in a fortnight's time in Kansas.