Top partnership: Luke Ball with his coach Jeremy Dale
AVON’s athletes completed a fantastic haul of six medals at the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships.
The county’s best youngsters won two golds and four silvers and in addition also had four athletes finishing in the top six and a further seven manging to get into the top ten.
“It was brilliant!” said Jim Strudwick, who was one of the team managers.
Golden champions were the Castle School, Thornbury, youngster Luke Ball in the junior boys’ high jump and 18-year-old SGS College Filton student Jenna Blundell (pictured right at the World Schools Games earlier this season) in the senior girls’ 100m hurdles.
Ball, who was a clear favourite on paper, improved from bronze on his debut last year while British junior international Blundell signed off her schools’ career with her first medal at the event.
The four silvers were won by sprinter Dan Brooks, who is also at SGS, in the senior boys’ 100m, Ralph Allen’s Max Davis in the senior 3000m, Brimsham Green’s Toby Conibear in the inter boys’ hammer and Clifton College student Josh Schrijver in the junior boys’ discus.
In addition Conibear’s silver also earned him a first international vest to represent England at the British & Irish Schools’ Championships next weekend.
English Schools’ Championships (Avon results).
Senior boys – 100: 2 Dan Brooks 10.73; 800: 8 Abdi Hasan 1:55.98 (hts 1:54.96 PB); 3000: 2 Max Davis 8:25.75; 400H: 6 Harry Meredith 57.45; 4x100m relay: 4 Avon 43.88; Long jump: 10 Marcin Olech 6.45.
Inter boys – 200 hts: Max Elliot3 23.25; John Maggs 22.98; 1500: 7 Justin Davies 4:07.73 (hts 4:04.09); 3000: 5 Alex Parsons 8:49.96; 1500 S/C: 16 Alex Kerfoot 4:48.92; Hammer: 2 Toby Conibear 62.48.
Junior boys – 1500 hts: Seamus Robinson 4:29.07; 80H hts: Patrick Kyle 12.55; High jump: 1 Luke Ball 1.87; Long jump: 8 Dennis Alphonso5.81; Discus: 2 Joshua Schrijver 41.00.
Senior girls – 100 hts: Khia’aama Kofi 12.77; 400 hts: Jess Frazer 59.80; 100H (+0.5w); 1 Jenna Blundell 13.56; Long jump: 6 Tia Jackson 5.67; Triple jump: 9 Emma Bakare 11.39.
Inter girls – 200 hts: Imogen Leakey 26.26; 800 hts: Kate Howard 2:24.50; 80H hts: Ellie Mount 13.30; 300H hts: Stephanie Brooks 47.02; 1500 S/C: 9 Enya Maylor 5:18.00; Javelin: 6 Jess Lewis 40.81; 14 Libby Parker 36.73.
Junior girls – 100 hts: Chloe Marrett 12.79; 300 hts: Lily Bailey 42.43; 800 hts: Amelia Honor 2:20.92; 75 hurdles – hts: Naomi Dawson 12.81; Long jump: 7 Alice Wilson 5.21; 23 Eleni Francis 4.46; Shot: 18 Maisie Johns 9.92; hammer: 19 Kacey Banks 31.61.