Athletics Avon youngsters impress at English Schools Championships

ELEANOR McIntosh and Holly Sanigar led the charge for Avon with two magnificent performances to win gold at the English Schools Championships in Birmingham.

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Eleanor led from the front in both 400m heats and final to win comfortably in 54.6secs, close to her pb. Holly was more patient in the 800m, attacking the leading two off the final bend to win in 2mins 9secs (pb). Her final was almost a carbon copy of her heat when she attacked off the final bend knowing (as she said) that she would finish in the top two to qualify.

Owen Garrett, in the discus, came close to his pb to take silver with 49.57m, as did two great runs by Ewan Sparey in the 800m and Stan Wyatt in the steeplechase, both running courageous races to chase home the winner and earn international vests for the SIAB meeting in Derby. The fourth silver came in the 3000m where Freya Bradley, as ever, produced a pb fabulous run in 9.30.24mins.