TOM Gale edged his personal best up another centimetre to shatter the Wiltshire Schools’ Championships record and move equal first in the 2016 UK rankings for U20 men on Saturday, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 17-year-old John of Gaunt School (Trowbridge) student soared to 2.15m to beat his previous best of 2.14m and improve his personal best for a third time this summer.

Gale then made a valiant attempt at clearing the World Junior Championship qualifying standard of 2.17m but had to endure a long delay as the county officials brought a calibration measure to the arena to verify the height, meaning his rhythm was broken.

“It was really nice to jump another personal best but it is getting so close now that it feels like 2.17m is taunting me,” said Gale.

“I had three good attempts at the height so even if I don’t get it in the next few weeks I know it is coming. Now I have nailed down my run-up there is much more to come.

“I was so far over 2.15m but all the waiting around for the bar to be measured meant I just lost the feel for it and on my approach my stride shortened so my high point was before the bar.

“I really want that 2.17m and I just have to keep believing I will do it.”

Nonetheless Gale shattered the existing schools’ record of 2.00m set six years ago. It was one of five new championship records broken at the one-day meeting staged in Salisbury.

Arguably the best race of the day came in the intermediate girls’ 80m hurdles where both Jenna Blundell of St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon, and Dauntsey’s Imogen Dawe-Lane broke the previous record of 12.1secs.

The pair dipped on the line and could not be separated by time – they were both awarded 11.9secs – but Blundell was given the judges’ verdict to ensure a timely present for her 15th birthday celebrations the following day.

The time was a fraction outside Blundell’s recent PB of 11.75secs but Dawe-Lane could celebrate a PB as she shaved 0.1secs off her previous best time.

Another record-breaking sprint hurdler was Sheldon School’s Sam Roberts in the inter boys’ 100m hurdles.

The 15-year-old started hot favourite for the event as he was already top of the South West rankings and equal 10th fastest in the UK after clocking a PB of 13.73secs at Yate in April.

Roberts didn’t disappoint as he scorched to victory in a time of 13.80secs.

There was only one record broken in the middle distance events and it was no surprise that it went to a Howorth.

Rory was the star on this occasion as the 13-year-old St Augustine Catholic College student, from Hilperton, sliced 0.64secs off his previous best set at Watford start of the month with a time of 4:11.4 to shatter the 32-year-old record of 4:20.3.

The time consolidated Howorth’s position of third in the UK rankings for U15 boys.

The fifth record to fall went to Isambard Community School’s Katie Loach in the junior girls’ hammer as she threw 28.63 to eclipse the 2015 record of 28.31m set by her Swindon Harriers’ clubmate Zoe Bishop.

The throw was also a PB for Loach, who goes fifth in South West rankings for U15 girls, to beat her previous best of 27.94m set when winning the Wiltshire club’s title which was also a record at the time.

In addition to the five records there were a number of other fine performances at the meeting.

A National Schools’ standard mark was set by Godolphin School’s Anna Merritt in the junior girls’ discus and there were a further eight English Schools’ standard results.

Two of those went to the Howorth twins Robert and John, of St Augustine’s Catholic College, in the inter boys’ 1500m steeplechase as the 16-year-olds clocked 4:31.2 and 4:33.17 respectively for a family one-two.

Both times were personal bests and lifted the pair to the top two spots in the South West rankings for U15 boys – and sixth and seventh respectively in the country.

Sheldon School’s 15-year-old Joe Collins won the inter boys’ 400m hurdles in a PB of 57.60secs while in the inter girls’ 300m hurdles victory went to Dauntsey’s Dawe-Lane in 45.10secs, another PB.

The male sprint hurdlers also impressed with Sheldon School’s Dan Taylor and Luke Leadbetter of Wellington Academy sharing a dead-heat of 12.0secs in the junior boys’ 80m event.

In the field, Georgina Henry, of St Edmund’s CoE Girls’ School, won the inter girls’ shot with a throw of 11.09m and Devizes School’s 13-year-old William Scammell lifted the junior boys’ long jump title with a leap of 5.67m which smashed his PB by 44cms.

Wiltshire Schools’ Track & Field Championships, Salisbury (K=Kennet; NW=North Wiltshire; S=Salisbury; Sw=Swindon; WW=West Wiltshire).

Senior boys – 100: 1 Will Kennedy (WW) 11.3; 2 Jordan Earley (WW) 11.5; 3 Dominic Waddell (Sw) 11.6; 200: 1 Kennedy 22.8; 2 Calllum McTaggart (S) 23.2; 3 Earley 23.6; 400: 1 Oliver Shad (K) 51.0; 2 Callum Short (K) 51.6; 3 Scot Gunning (Sw) 52.5; 800: 1 Jay Painter (NW) 2:04.2; 1500; 1 Jaymee Domoney (S) 4:04.5; 2 Cameron Perkins (NW) 4:14.4; HJ: 1 Tom Gale (WW) 2.15; Jav: 1 Nick Ritchings (Sw) 48.28.

Inter boys – 100: 1 Fin Hart (WW) 12.1; 2 Charlie Curry (K) 12.10; 3 Jacob Norcliffe (S) 12.2; 200; 1 Murray Dewar (WW) 24.0; 2 Harrison Pearson (Sw) 24.2; 3 Norcliffe 24.2; 400: 1 Joe Collins (NW) 57.6; 800: 1 Alex James (K) 2:09.2; 2 Daniel Goss (NW) 2:13.3; 3 Ty Mifsud (Sw) 2:16.1; 1500: 1 Dan Davis (K) 4:26.5; 2 Ethan Pearce (NW) 4:29.9; 3 Jack Bennett (S) 4:31.6; 3000: 1 Otto Copping (NW) 9:50.5; 2 Charlie Stockley (WW) 9:56.4; 3 Mark Poynting (S) 10:23.2; 1500S/C: 1 Robert Howorth (WW) 4:31.20; 2 John Howorth (WW) 4:33.70;  100H: 1Sam Roberts (NW) 13.8; 2 Maksym Obermok (WW) 15.6; 3 Kieran Short (K) 15.8; 400H: 1 Joe Collins (NW) 57.6; Jav: 1 Nick Rusinov (K) 45.95; 2 Ben Goldsmith (S) 45.25; 3 Stan Admiral (WW) 37.08; DT: 1 Harrison Pearson (Sw) 28.16; 2 Dominic Kernan (NW) 27.63; 3 Jack Davies (WW) 27.14; HT: 1 Joshua Ricketts (Sw) 31.72; 2 Kernan 22.76; SP: 1 Ricketts 11.37; 2 Josh Hole (S) 11.08; 3 Archie Griffin (K) 10.03; HJ: 1 Jack Rigby (K) 1.77; 2 Kieran Short (K) 1.75; 3 Dewar 1.75; LJ: 1 Jake Burkey (NW) 6.10; 2Short 5.86; 3 Jake Nickerson (NW) 5.79;  TJ: 1 Nickerson 12.32; 2 Angus Tudsbery (K) 12.28; 3 Harry Thompson (S) 11.47.

Junior boys - 100: 1 William Browne (WW) 11.8; 2 Harry Clarke (S) 12.0; 3 Ed Nash (S) 12.2; 200: 1 Browne 24.5; 2 Femi Akinobola (NW) 24.6; 3 Thompson Cowan (NW) 25.1; 300: 1 Ethan Stock (Sw) 39.8; 2 Theo Andre Browning (S) 39.8; 3 George Stephens (NW) 40.2; 800: 1 Max Sockett (NW) 2:11.7; 2 William Ackerley (K) 2:12.4; 3 Owen Taylor (S) 2:13.6; 1500: 1 Rory Howorth (WW) 4:11.4; 2 Jordan Murray (NW) 4:31.5; 3 Will Morris (K) 4:33.3; 80H: 1 Luke Leadbetter (K) 12.0; 2 Dan Taylor (NW) 12.0; 3 Kieran Appleton (S) 12.3; DT: 1 Igor Grindley (WW) 26.58; 2 Sam Barber (WW) 24.94; 3 Jonathan Mi-Nia (S) 24.08; Jav: 1 Robbie Milne (K) 37.11; 2 Rhys Rowlands (Sw) 34.53; 3 Thomas Holmes (K) 33.68; SP: 1 Alex Sevenyuk (K) 10.14; 2 James Farr (WW) 9.95; 3 Wilfred Fitzgibbon (K) 9.63;  HJ: 1 Ransford Ako’nai (WW) 1.63; 2 Barney Duffy (S) 1.57; 3 Alex Clothier (K) 1.54;  LJ: 1 William Scammell (K) 5.67; 2 Zach Bembridge (WW) 5.28; 3 Owen Taylor (S) 5.12; TJ: 1 Cameron Harvey (Sw) 11.33; 2 Jacob Gale (Sw) 10.88; 3 Sam Henriques (K) 10.34.

Senior girls – 100: 1 Zoe Mattacks (WW) 13.0; 2 Lydia Hanks (NW) 14.2; 200: 1 Alice Smith (S) 28.7; 2 Hanks 30.3; 400: 1 Unknown (S) 60.2;1500: 1 Yasmin Watling (NW) 4:59.3; 2 Jasmine Thayer (S) 5:00.4; 100H: 1 Mattacks 16.5; DT: 11 Imogen Davies (K) 26.93; SP: 1Davies 8.53; LJ: 1 Abby Miles (Sw) 5.29.

Inter girls – 100: 1 Emily Arrell (NW) 13.10; 2 Polly Maton (K) 13.10; 3 Skye Allen (S) 13.20; 200: 1 Allen 26.9; 2 Arrell 27.1; 3 Molly Bennett (NW) 27.9; 300: 1 Ariana Watling (NW) 45.1; 2 Flora Guy (NW) 46.8; 3 Alice Sullivan (S) 47.3; 800: 1 Caroline Brenchley (NW) 2:27.5; 2 Natalie Pidgeon (NW) 2:32.5; 3 Scarlett Rockett (WW) 2:33.3; 1500: 1 Caitlin Wosika (WW) 4:51.3; 2 Jade Littlechild (NW) 4:53.1; 3 Lily Battersby (S) 5:25; 3000: 1 Chloe Hayward (Sw) 11:26/6; 2 Lucy Fitzpatrick (NW) 11:54.0; 1500S/C: 1 Tasha Mundell (S) 6:36.8; 80H: 1 Jenna Blundell (WW) 11.9; 2 Imogen Dawe-Lane (K) 11.9; 3 Millie Middleton (K) 13.9; 3000H: 1 Dawe-Lane 45.1; DT: 1 Georgina Henry (S) 31.30; 2 Georgia Pickford (K) 25.09; 3 Hannah Hale (WW) 20.79; HT: 1 Zoe Bishop (NW) 32.87; Jav: 1 Ottilie Knight (S) 35.83; 2 Kitty Johnson (WW) 26.59; 3 Amy Davidson (K) 19.05; SP: 1 Henry 11.09; 2 Bethany Palfrey (K) 8.47; 3 Pickford 8.42; H: 1 Blundell 1.54; 2 Morgan Ringwood (S) 1.41; 3 Violet Elworthy (K) 1.31; HJ: 1 Maton 5.08; 2 Harriet Legg (S) 4.76; 3 Flora Guy (NW) 4.50; TJ: 1 Knight 9.59; 2 Scarlett Thompson (K) 9.47; 3 Morgan Golledge (NW) 9.02.

Junior girls – 100: 1 Emma Okunbor (NW) 13.0; 2 Kiya Goodwin (Sw) 13.0; 3 Monalisa Banda (K) 13.2; 200: 1 Sophie Butchart (NW) 27.5; 2 Anna Curtis (NW) 27.7; 3 Oni Taiwo (S) 28.1; 800: 1 Susie Hirst (NW) 2:223.6; 2 Eva Porter (NW) 2:28.7; 3 Isobel Horsfield (S) 2:32.8; 1500; 1 Megan Poole (Sw) 5:8.8; 2 Louise Webb (S) 5:10.5; 3 Sophie Capel (NW) 5:13.5; 75H: 1 Hannah New (Sw) 12.5; 2 Mia Bates (NW) 12.9; 3 Sophia Hill (K) 13.8; DT: 1 Anna Merritt (S) 30.96; 2 Olivia Gregory (K) 25.27; 3 Imogen Ayling (K) 21.28; HT: 1 Katie Loach (Sw) 28.63; 2 Lottie Newcombe (NW); 3 Abigail Elms (NW); Jav: 1 Moly Hole (S) 29.74; 2 Hebe Edgar (NW) 24.05; 3 Sasha Elliott (S) 22.38; SP: 1 Molly Hole (S) 10.13; 2 Victoria Oge-Evans (NW) 9.58; 3 Merritt 8.99; LJ: 1 Sophie Lawrence (K) 4.57; 2 Ringwood 4.52; 3 Banda (K) 4.49.