HAYDEN Bailey looks like he is making up for lost time after by his own admission a slow start to the outdoors campaign, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 16-year-old from Bratton, near Westbury, raced to two individual victories before playing a big role in the 4x400m relay success to help the composite Team Avon squad to a thrilling half-a-point victory over Cardiff in the second Youth Development League Midland Premier South West match at Cheltenham on Sunday.

“I didn’t have a great start to the season due to exams and then not being able to train as hard as I wanted so Saturday was a big step forward,” said Bailey.

“I first won the 400m in a personal best time of 51.3 seconds and then later ran the 800m. I knew that would be a bit of a struggle after racing the 400m so I just concentrated on trying to win the race to get the points for the team and that’s what I did.

“Then at the end of the day Rory Howorth and myself joined two other lads (from Bristol & West AC) and we won the 4x400m relay in a time of 3.32 which we were told is the fastest in the UK for our age group this year.

“I was also given an unofficial split of 50.8 for my 400m leg which is pleasing.”

The latest PB puts Bailey top of the South West rankings for U17 men in both the 400m and the 800m while at UK level he is fifth fastest over the latter which is his main event.

Bailey wasn’t the only successful Wiltshire athlete in action for Team Avon. Other A winners on the track included fellow Sheldon School student Louis Torto in the U20 men’s 200m in 22.4secs, Hilperton’s Robert Howorth in the U20 men’s steeplechase in 6.54.9 and Trowbridge-based Caitlin Wosika in the U20 women’s steeplechase in 5:09.2.

A winners in the field were Jack Bardzil in the U17 men’s triple jump with 11.77m, Robyn Ellison in the U17 women’s long jump with 4.91m and Grace Davies- Redmond in the U20 women’s javelin with 34.11m.

Marshfield-based Themis Bower won the U20 men’s B 800m in 2.03.5 and there were also B event victories for Robert Howorth (U20s 1500m in 4.04.9), Sheldon School’s Jake Burkey (U20 men’s long jump with 6.43m), Joel Mattacks (U17 men’s 400m hurdles in 68.2), Femi Akimbobola (U17 men’s 100 m hurdles in 15.1) and Zoe Mattacks (U20 women’s 100m hurdles in 15.6).

In the A events there were also second places for Rory Howorth (U17s 400m hurdles in 58.3), Zoe Mattacks ( U20 women’s 100m in 12.8), Devizes athlete Imogen Dawe-Lane (U20s 100m hurdles in 15.2) and Robyn Ellison (U17s high jump with 1.50).

TROWBRIDGE’S British junior international Tom Gale was in action at the Bedford Jumps & Throws Festival and declared himself satisfied with a clearance of 2.16m.