WESTBURY sprinter Will Kennedy scorched to double gold in the South West Inter Counties Track & Field Championships at the Exeter Arena, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 20-year-old won both the senior men’s 100m and 200m events on a red-hot day in Devon, although blustery wind conditions weren’t entirely conducive to fast times leaving Kennedy only moderately happy with his times of 11.06secs and 22.61secs respectively.

“The performances weren’t great but I guess the wins were the main thing,” said Kennedy, a former student at Matravers School.

“In both races I had to come from behind. In the 100m another Wiltshire sprinter (Callum Rea of Lavington Athletics) had a really good start and it took me time to catch up.

“In the 200m I was second coming off the bend as I stumbled out of the blocks and only just got ahead in the final 20 metres.

“I have run faster this season but they are probably my best wins.”

Kennedy wasn’t the only double Wiltshire winner at the event with Chippenham rookie thrower Owen Merrett also claiming two gold medals.

Just a week after winning the bronze medal in the junior boys’ hammer at the English Schools’ Championships Merrett celebrated his recent 14th birthday with victory in the U15 boys’ hammer and discus events.

In the hammer the Sheldon School athlete led a fantastic Wiltshire clean sweep of the medals with Swindon Harriers’ Harry Ricketts the runner-up and fellow Sheldon School colleague James Viner third. Viner also won a second bronze in the discus.

The Howorth brothers also struck gold with John winning the U20 men’s 800m, with twin Robert runner-up and Rory winning the U17 men’s 400m after a good tussle with Wiltshire teammate Matt Smith.

In a rare outing over the barriers John was also fourth in the senior men’s 2000m steeplechase in a time of 6mins 41.64secs.

Rea added gold in the high jump to his sprint silver and Trowbridge-based Marcin Olech won gold in the U20 men’s long jump with a season’s best of 6.24m then added a bronze in the triple jump.

There was a gold for Chippenham’s Jake Burkey although surprisingly not in the long jump, in which he had to settle for silver but in the U20 men’s javelin as he finished just half a metre off his personal best.

Lavington Athletics’ Will Morris arguably claimed his best win of the summer in the U17 men’s 1500m while Hilperton thrower Gabriella Holt won gold in the U20 women’s shot to go with her bronze in the hammer.

There were further Wiltshire golds for Caitlin Wosika (under 20s 1500m steeplechase), Robyn Ellison (under 20s long jump), Eleanor Webster (U17s 800m), Freya Buglass (U15s 800m in a PB of 2:17.51) and Tyla Werrett.

Marlborough & District AC Junior multi eventer Kieran Short had a busy day winning five medals. Pride of place was a silver in the U20 men’s triple jump and there were four bronzes in the 100m, 110m hurdles, long jump and high jump.

Sheldon School’s Femi Akinbobola won a brace of silvers in the U17 men’s 200m and 100m hurdles and Rory Howorth was runner-up in the high jump plus fourth in the javelin.

There was a hard-earned silver from Simon Nott in the 5000m which produced one of the best duels of the day as the Calne Running Club athlete fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Gloucestershire’s Ben Robinson with just 0.38secs separating the pair on the finish line.

South West Inter Counties Track & Field Championships, Exeter Arena (all Wiltshire unless stated)

Senior men – 100 (+1.6w): 1 Will Kennedy 11.06; 2 Callum Rea 11.15; 200 (-0.1w): 1 Kennedy 22.61; 3 Louis Torto 22.98; 400: 3 Scott Gunning 51.53; 800: 1 Ben Robinson (G) 2:05.78; 2 Simon Dill 2:06.82; 5000: 1 Robinson 15:41.13; 2 Simon Nott 15:41.51; HJ: 1 Rea 1.70.

U20 men – 100 (+1.6w): 3 Kieran Short 11.76; 200 (-1.8w): 3 Jake Burkey 23.89; 400: 2 Jacob Norcliffe 55.06; 800: 1 John Howorth 1:56.98; 2 Robert Howorth 1:57.07; 1500: 1 Ethan Pierce 4:12.07; 110H: 3 Short 16.75; HJ: 2 David Thomas (A ) 1.65; 3 Short 1.65; LJ: 1 Marcin Olech 6.24; 2 Burkey 6.20; 3 Short 5.96; TJ: 2 Short 12.62; 3 Olech 12.17; SP: 2 Josh Ricketts 11.60; Discus: 1 Ricketts 32.00; Hammer: 2 Ricketts 50.19; Javelin: 1 Burkey 45.52; 3 Rea Rogan 39.19;

U17 men –200: 2 Femi Akinbobola 22.96; 400: 1 Rory Howorth 51.81; 2 Matthew Smith 52.34; 1500: 1 Will Morris 4:13.33; 2 Patrick Mochan 4:13.65; 3000: 3 Max Sockett 9:35.11; 100H: 2 Akinbobola 15.27; 3 Jake Cover 15.37; HJ: 2 Howorth 1.80; 3 Jacob Kelly 1.70; LJ: 3 Alex Martin 5.79; TJ: 3 Joseph Keane 12.48.

U15 boys – 200 (+0.3w): 3 Joe Carter 24.25; 800: 2 Robert Jones 2:05.31; LJ: 3 Fraser Middleton 5.39; Discus: 1 Owen Merrett 28.40; 3 James Viner 27.50; Hammer: 1 Merrett 48.09; 2 Harry Ricketts 44.71; 3 Viner 44.33.

U13 boys – 100 (+3.0w): 3 Charlie Staddon 13.78; 75H (+0.7w): 3 Charlie Staddon 13.03; SP: 3 Adam Merrett (A) 6.01; Discus: 2 William Barnard 17.50; 3 Merrett 14.92; Javelin: 1 Barnard 34.73.

Senior women –200: 3 Lydia Rogers 26.47; LJ: 2 Lydia Rogers 5.01.

U20 women –1500 S/C: 1 Caitlin Wosika 5:11.80; LJ: 1 Robyn Ellison 5.22; SP: 1 Gabriella Holt 8.37; 2 Georgia Pickford 8.07; Hammer: 3 Holt 40.00.

U17 women – 100 (+1.0): 1 Lucy Matthews 12.23; 200 (-1.0w): 1 Matthews 25.43; 300: 1 Matthews 40.50; 800: 2 Eleanor Webster 2:19.90; 300H: 2 Sarah Brett 47.06; 3 Hannah New 49.40; HJ: 1 Molly Hole 1.60; SP: 1 Hole 12.30.

U15 girls – 100 (-0.9w): 5 Delleah Belgrave 13.10; 300: 2 Stephanie Brooks (A) 43.58; 800: 1 Freya Buglass 2:17.51; 6 Brooks 2:32.18; 1500: 1 Bea Wood 4:33.49; 75H (+3.4w): 3 Issy Imeson 12.33; HJ: 1 Fiona Barkley 1.60; 3000: 3 Imogen Tanner 11:20.08; SP: 2 Maisie Johns 10.76; Hammer: 2 Joli Littlejohns 29.61; Javelin: 1 Megan Galpin 40.22 (CBP).

U13 girls – 100 (-0.1w): 1 Tyla Werrett 13.2; 200 (-0.4w): 2 Werrett 28.23; HJ: 2 Livvy Hewlett 1.45; 3 Poppy Nolan 1.40; SP: 2 Eloise MacDonald 8.22; DT: 2 Sophie Imeson 19.12; 3 Ellie Mullins 19.08; Javelin: 1 Hannah Lewington 40.69; 2 Katie New 26.45; 3 Ellie Mullins 21.54.