WILL Stockley’s bulging medal collection got even bigger at the weekend with arguably his best so far at the England Athletics Indoor Championships, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

This year the 15-year-old Melksham Oak School student has already won golds at the Midland Indoor Championships and Wiltshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships, plus a silver from the South West Schools’ Championships, but his first national medal represents a significant breakthrough.

Semington’s Stockley ran a clever race in Sheffield to finish third in the U17 men’s 1500m, smashing his personal best in the process with a time of four minutes 5.80 seconds, carving four seconds off his previous best.

“I went to Sheffield hoping to win a medal and run inside 4mins 7secs, which is the qualifying standard for the English Schools’ in the summer and I did both so I am really pleased,” said Stockley.

“I have won a national team medal in the past but this is my first individual track medal, so it was probably my best performance and I have to be happy with that.”

While the indoor circuit is not as intense as outdoors, medals still do not easily, so Stockley’s performance certainly eclipses his previous highlights.

Last year he was third in the 1,500m at the UK Youth Development U20/17 League National Final, won the South West Schools’ and Club’s titles and came fifth in the 15,000m steeplechase at the England Championships.

In 2013, Stockley finished seventh in the U15 3,000m at the England Championships outdoors, a repeat of his performance at the same event the previous year.

The confidence he will get from last weekend will also help him when he switches back to cross country for his final big challenge of the winter at the English Schools’ Championships.

Stockley added: “I’ll be looking to finish in the top eight if I can as that will get me a place in the England team for the British Schools’ Championships.”

In the same age group, Trowbridge’s Tom Gale just missed out on a medal after finishing fourth in the high jump, with his clearance of 1.88m slightly below his PB of 1.95m.

Meanwhile, Trowbridge’s Zoe Mattacks produced a personal best in the heats of the U17 girls’ 60m.