THROWER Ellie-J Webb was Wiltshire’s stand-out performer as the county’s top young athletes scooped a total of 29 medals at the South West Schools Track & Field Championships staged at the Exeter Arena, WRITES KEVIN FAHEY.

The Trowbridge College student, from Westbury, not only won the senior girls’ hammer but also secured the title with a magnificent championship record throw of 47.87m.

Her gold was one of five won by Wiltshire at the competition. The other field event gold came in the inter boys’ high jump as John of Gaunt student Tom Gale confirmed his status as the number one in the South West rankings with victory thanks to a new outdoor personal best of 1.93m.

A second John of Gaunt student also made the top of the podium, with in-form Caitlin Wosika holding off a very strong field to win the inter girls’ 1,500m.

Wosika was up against the top Avon pair of Ellie Wallace and Hannah Hobbs, plus Cornwall’s outstanding Yoyo Barnsley, but she showed real grit to claim the title as only 0.76secs covered the top four finishers.

Also successful in the middle distance was Matravers’ Hayden Bailey. The youngster dominated the junior boys’ 800m to triumph in 2mins 2.29secs.

The fifth and final Wiltshire champion was Callum Short of St John’s School & Community College in the inter boys 400m hurdles.

Elsewhere, Melksham Oak’s Will Stockley consolidated his emergence as a steeplechaser of potential with silver in the inter boys’ race, while St Augustine’s Rory Howorth was just edged out in the junior boys’ 1,500m.

Devizes School’s Emily Hutchinson was runner-up in the senior girls’ shot – with Webb third – and John of Gaunt’s Zoe Mattacks was second in the inter girls’ 100m.

Matravers School sprinter William Kennedy also impressed with bronze medals in both the senior boys’ 100m and 200m.