DEVIZES teenager Ransford Ako’nai soared to a new county record with a superb display of long-jumping at the 85th annual Wiltshire Schools’ Track & Field Championships staged at Swindon, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The St Augustine’s Catholic College student not only beat his 2016 personal best of 5.91m but also cracked six metres for the first time as he cleared a national standard of 6.01m to take gold in the junior boys’ age group at the County Ground. The previous record was 5.95m set by Brad Hill in 2010.

“Ransford is a lovely lad and an athlete we picked up last year through the Wiltshire multi events competition at Marlborough College,” said Team Bath AC coach Julie Alexander.

“He had been having a few problems with his run-up but we have sorted out that now and he jumped really well on Saturday in what were very windy conditions that didn’t help.

“Ran is a raw talent and I think in the right conditions he can jump 6.25m this summer and do well at the English Schools’ Championships.”

For good measure Ako’nai also won silver in the high jump with a PB of 1.72m only missing gold on countback.

Ako’nai’s achievement was one of 10 county records broken on Saturday.

Joe Collins’ was back in the headlines again – he was recently praised by former world record holder Colin Jackson for his hurdling technique – as he equalled the inter boys’ county record in the 100m hurdles.

The Sheldon School student from Chippenham clocked a personal best of 13.8secs, dipping under 14 seconds for the first time, to equal the record held jointly by Joe Hutchinson (2008) and Sam Roberts (2016).

Dauntsey’s student Catriona Edington, who is a member of Marlborough & District Juniors, set a record of 6:06.6 in winning the inter girls’ 1500m steeplechase while in the junior girls’ javelin, Warminster School’s Megan Galpin threw a mighty PB of 39.00m to move up to fifth in the UK rankings.

Apart from the records there were numerous outstanding performances from county athletes at the event.

Matravers School student Hayden Bailey continued his good form this season with a double gold in the inter boys’ 400m and 800m and there were also two golds for Caroline Brenchley, of St Mary’s Schoool, Calne, in the inter girls’ 800m and 1500m.

John of Gaunt School sprinter Zoe Mattacks was a class apart in the senior girls’ 100m and 100m hurdles and another sprinter to impress was Dauntsey’s Matthew Bark-Churchill as he scorched to victory in the junior boys’ 100m and 200m events.

St Augustine College student Rory Howorth recorded a PB of 58.2secs to win the inter boys’ 400m hurdles and was also runner-up in the 800m while older brother John pushed hot favourite Jaymee Domoney all the way in the senior boys’ 1500m before just losing out by three-tenths of a second.

Robert Howorth delivered a second gold for the family with victory in the senior boys’ 800m from Melksham Oak’s Will Stockley.

Sheldon School’s Jake Burkey soared to a PB of 6.71m, adding 15cms to his previous best set earlier this season, to win the senior boys’ long jump title with Marcin Orlech of St Augustine’s winning the Inter boys title with an English Schools’ standard of 6.43m.

St Laurence School (Bradford on Avon) student Robyn Ellison did the double in the inter girls’ high jump and long jump events.

Least surprising result of the day came from GB junior international Tom Gale as he cleared 2.09m to win the senior boys’ high jump.

NEW CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS

Ransford Ako'nai (St Augustine’s Catholic College) Junior Boys Long Jump, 6.01m; Gabrielle Kirkham (South Wilts Grammar) Junior Girls Long Jump 5.22m; M Hole (South Wilts Grammar) Junior Girls Shot (3kg) 10.95m; Ottilie Knight (S Edmund’s Salisbury) Intermediate Girls Javelin (500gm) 39.38m; Megan Galpin (Warminster School) Junior Girls Javelin (500gm) 39.00m; A Merritt (Godolphin) Junior Girls Hammer 3kg 38.85m; Katie Loach (Isambard Community School) junior Girls Hammer 3kg 34.36m; Beatrice Wood (South Wilts Grammar) Junior Girls 1500m 4m37.0; Joe Collins (Sheldon School) Intermediate Boys 100 metres Hurdles 13.80s; Catriona Edington (Dauntsey’s) Intermediate Girls 1500m Steeplechase 6:06.6.

Wiltshire Schools’ Track & Field Championships, Swindon

Senior boys 100: 1 Jordan Earley (WW) 11.6; 2 Tom Haworth (SW) 11.7; 3 Kieran Short (KEN) 11.9; 200: 1 Louis Torto (NW) 22.9; 2 Earley 23.9; 3 Haworth 24.2; 400: 1 Callum Short (KEN) 54.20; 800: 1 Robert Howorth (WW) 2:00.1; 2 Will Stockley (WW) 2:07.8; 1500: 1 Jaymee Domoney (SAL) 4:13.1; 2 John Howorth (WW) 4:13.4; 3000: 1 Fabrice Webb (SAL) 10:05.4; 2 M Poynting (SAL) 10:07.8; 110H: 1 Sam Roberts (NW) 16.1; HJ: 1 Tom Gale (WW) 2.09; 2 Johan Warensjo (SW) 1.85; 3 Jack Rigby (KEN) 1.82; LJ: 1 Jake Burkey (NW) 6.71; TJ: 1Angus Tudsbery (KEN) 12.89; 2 Kieran Short (KEN) 12.39.

Inter boys -100: 1 Fin Hart (WW) 11.4; 2 Jacob Norcliffe (SAL) 11.5; 3 Femi Akinbobola (NW) 11.6; 200: 1 Norcliffe 23.2; 2 Akinbobola 23.2; 3 Sam Waddell (SWI) 23.7; 400: 1 Hayden Bailey (WW) 52.9; 2 Josh Hole (SAL) 54.0; 3 George Craig (SWI) 55.6; 800: 1 Bailey 1:59.8; 2 Rory Howorth (WW) 2:01.7; 3 Dan Davis (KEN) 2:08.4; 1500: 1 Ethan Pierce (NW) 4:36.3; 2 Robert Croager (SAL) 4:444.0; 3 Charlie Trinder-Sage (SWI) 4:48.8; 3000: 1 James Wright (NW) 9;57.8; 2 Otto Copping (NW) 10:17.6; 100H: 1 Joe Collins (NW) 13.8 (=CBP); 2 Kieron Appleton (SAL) 14.9; 3 Dan Taylor (NW) 15.0; 400H: 1 Rory Howorth (WW) 58.2; 2 Joel Mattacks (WW) 68.1; Discus: 1 Charlie Curry (KEN) 29.64; 2 R McRobert (SAL) 28.70; 3 Thomas Corfied (KEN 26.83; Hammer: 1 Joshua Ricketts (SWI) 46.29; Javelin: 1 L Ho (SAL) 44.55; 2 X Hastings (SAL) 43.37; 3 Rhys Rowlands (SWI) 42.87; Shot: 1 Josh Hole (SAL) 12.39; 2 Joshua Ricketts (SWI) 12.38; 3 Hastings 10.88; HJ: 1 B Duffy (SAL) 1.69; 2 Ben Waldron (SWI) 1.59; 3=Max McDowall (KEN) & Daniel Jones (WW) 1.54; LJ: 1 Marcin Olech (WW) 6.43; 2 Angus Savage (NW) 5.71; 3 Cameron Harvey (SWI) 5.34; TJ: 1 Aaron Campbell (SAL) 12.55; 2 George Craig (SWI) 11.29; 3 Cameron Harvey (SWI) 11.19.

Junior boys – 100: 1 Matthew Bark-Churchill (KEN) 12.0; 2 Ben Snow (SAL) 12.1; 3 Peter Adeosun (WW) 12.4; 200: 1 Bark-Churchill 24.9; 2 Will Scammel (KEN) 25.3; 3 Joe Carter (NW) 25.5; 300: 1 Joseph Knibb (SWI) 40.0; 2 Thomson Barrett (SAL) 41.2; 3 Sebastian Stobbs (SWI) 42.6; 800: 1 William Morris (KEN) 2:09.4; 2 James Gordon (WW) 2:11.0; 3 Alex Hemmings (WW) 2:14.7; 1500: 1 Jack Latus (NW) 4:28.2; 2 Patrick Mochan (SWI) 4:28.4; 3 Robert Jones (SAL) 4:42.1; 80H: 1 Sebastian Horlock (KEN) 12.2; 2 Adeosun 12.5; 3 Alex Martin (SWI) 12.9; DT: 1 George Honeyborne (KEN) 28.8; 2 Robbie Mobey (SWI) 22.67; 3 Darcy Merchant-Hills (SWI) 22.40; HT: 1 Owen Merrett (NW) 33.58; 2 James Viner (NW) 26.6; Jav: 1 Thomas Holmes (KEN) 48.07; 2 Miles Bigham (LEN) 31.99; 3 T Durrant (SAL) 31.39; SP: 1 J Kelly (SAL) 11.86; 2 Ben Cook (WW) 10.51; 3 Thomas Back (NW) 10.33; HJ: 1 Zak Chukwuemeka (KEN) 1.72; 2 Ransford Ako’nai (WW) 1.72; 3 Aaron Allette (SWI) 1.69; LJ: 1 Ako’nai 6.01 (CBP); 2 Scammel 5.77; 3 Ben Snow (SAL) 5.55; TJ: 1 Samuel Foulds (KEN) 10.0; 2 Josh Heywood (WW) 10.52; 3 Nathan Dunn (NW) 9.96.

Senior girls – 100: 1 Zoe Mattacks (WW) 12.7; 2 Teresa Lannetelli (SW) 12.8; 3 Polly Maton (KEN) 13.0; 200: 1 Lannetelli 27.1; 2 Eliza Dennis (SAL) 28.9; 800: 1 Natalie Pidgeon (NW) 2:33.9; 100H: 1 Mattacks 15.5; LJ: 1 Polly Maton (KEN) 5.00.

Inter girls – 100: 1 Skye Allen (SAL) 12.9; 2 Anna Murray (WW) 13.1; 3 Lily Roberts (SAL) 13.4; 200: 1 Allen 27.1; 2 Caroline Fellner (WW) 28.1; 3 Chloe Darlington (KEN) 29.0; 300: 1 Henrietta Pritchard (WW) 46.1; 2 Darlington 46.1; 3 Alice Evans (SAL) 46.2; 800: 1 Caroline Brenchley (NW) 2:28.4; 2 Maddie George (KEN) 2:29.3; 3 Sophie Capel (NW) 2:31.5; 1500: 1 Brenchley 5:02.3; 2 Louise Webb (SAL) 5:25.6 3 Dara Kelly (SWII) 5:35.8; 1500 S/C: 1 Catriona Edington (KEN) 6:06.6 (CBP); 80H: 1 Anna Murray (WW) 13.0; 2 I Viant (SAL) 13.4; 3 Hannah New (SWI) 13.7; 300H: 1 Ella Malik (NW) 56.1; 2 Jade Littlechild (NW) 11:41.3; 3 Lucy Fitzpatrick (NW) 11:58.7; DT: 1 Niamh Flanagan (KEN) 29.52; 2 Georgia Pickford (KEN) 27.09; 3 Anna Elliot (NW) 18.03; HT: 1 Zoe-Ann Bishop NW) 34.32; 2 Flanagan 24.87; Jav: 1 Ottilie Knight (SAL) 39.38 (CBP); 2 Izabella Hart (SWI) 27.36; 3 Sasha Elliott (SAL) 25.10; SP: 1 Iso Norris (SAL) 10.34; 2 Pickford 8.97; 3 J Allen (SAL) 8.35; HJ: 1 Robyn Ellison (WW) 1.49; 2 Charlotte Newcombe (NW) 1.46; 3 Hermione Warburton-Hogben (KEN) 1.46; LJ: 1 Ellison 4.93; 2 M Ringwood (SAL) 4.64; 3 Rachel Noble (SAL) 4.50; TJ: 1 Flora Guy (NW) 10.18 2 Morgan Golledge (NW) 9.68; 3 Rachel Bailey (SWI) 9.26.

Junior girls – 100: 1 Sophia Hill (KEN) 13.3; 2 Charlotte Longden (EN) 13.4; 3 Kiya Goodwin (SWI) 13.5; 200: 1 Sophie Butchart (NW) 28.1; 2 Indie Boyd (NW) 28.2; 3 A Lewis (SAL) 28.6; 800: 1 Megan Wright (NW) 2:29.3; 2 Amelia Sittrall (SWI) 2:30.0; 3 Rose Warren (SAL) 2:31.0; 1500: Megan Poole (SWI) 5:03.6; 2 Eva Porter (NW) 5:03.7; 3 Lavinia Rai (SWI) 5:09.7; 75H: 1 L Matthews (SAL) 11.8; 2 Sophia Hill (KEN) 12.0; 3 A Littlejohns (SAL) 12.1; HJ: 1 M Hole (SAL) 1.60; 2 Emma Jowelt (SAL) 1.511; 3 Tiggy Lee (KEN) 1.48; LJ: 1 Gabrielle Kirkham (SAL) 5.222 (CBP); 2 M Royle (SAL) 4.77; 3 Charlotte Longden (KEN) 4.68; DT: 1 A Merritt (SAL) 30.89; 2 Imogen Ayling (KEN) 24.68; 3 Amy Colyer (KEN) 21.78; HT: 1 Merritt 38.85 (CBP); 2 Katie Loach (SWI) 34.36 (CBP); Jav: 1 Megan Galpin (WW) 39.00 (CBP); 2 L Wilkinson (SAL) 26.17; 3 Stella Harper (NW) 24.59; SP: 1 M Hole (SAL) 10.95 (CBP): 2 G Clarke (SAL) 9.49; 3 Phoenix Wicheard (WW) 9.11.