Five Stevenage and North Herts AC members won gold for their events at the Herts County Schools Athletics Championships at Watford. Top boy was Daniel Gardner (Marriotts), in the eight/nine years age group, winning and setting a new personal best by pole

Five Stevenage and North Herts AC members won gold for their events at the Herts County Schools' Athletics Championships at Watford.

Top boy was Daniel Gardner (Marriotts), in the eight/nine years age group, winning and setting a new personal best by pole vaulting 3.25m.

This is a national standard, guaranteeing him a place in the county team for the English Schools' Championships at Gateshead in July.

Four more boys made their respective finals - second place went to Jake Exton (Nobel), with his javelin throw of 39.77m, followed by Billy Vernon-Hamilton (Hitchin Boys) in fifth place with 32.24m.

In the discus event, Ed van den Berg (Hitchin Boys) was placed fourth with 31.15m.

In the older age group for years 10/11, second place medals were collected by Lewis Keeble (Barclay) for 53.9 in the 400m, and by Connor Winters (John Henry Newman) vaulting 2.85m.

Another javelin thrower, Jack White (Heathcote), was third with a personal best of 43.51m.

Two seventh places went to Heathcote pupils, Luke Langley and Warren Herridge, in the 800m and 1500m respectively (2:25.3 and 4:45.3).

Top girl was Beccy Knapp (Nobel) who threw the hammer 34.57m which is a new championship best performance for the years 10/11 age group.

Following her into second place, with a new personal best was Frances Gross (Heathcote) with 30.70m.

Beccy was second in her other event, throwing the discus 25.29m.

Also winning in this age group, Moe Sasegbon (Queenswood), high jumped a seasonal best performance of 1.62m, followed by Anne Rees (Heathcote) in third place (1.56m). Karen Meadows (Freman College) was fourth in the 1500m, clocking 5:38.9.

Both Moe and Beccy gained the entry standard for consideration for the English Schools' Championships in July.

Two club members in the girls' years eight/nine events also shone.

Renee Hector (John Henry Newman) won the discus with 29.53m, which is an entry standard for the English Schools' meeting, and Alex Gates (Highfield) won the long jump with a personal best of 5.00m, which is only 5cm below the required entry standard.

Janet Browne (St Francis' College) was second in this age group high jump (1.50m) and was eighth in the 75m hurdles (13.4); Ayo Awokoya (Hitchin Girls) put the shot a personal best distance of 9.05m for third, and Hannah Dewhurst (St Francis' College) ran a season's best of 5:14.2 for fifth place in the 1500m.

One member from the youngest (year seven) age group, Georgia Hazell (Barclay) was fifth in the 1500m (5:43.8).

Many club members will be in action at Ridlins Stadium in Stevenage this Wednesday (June 25) in the North Herts District Schools' Championships.

Year Seven, Eight, Nine and 10 students from the secondary schools in the North Herts education area will be competing in the meeting which starts at 9.30am and lasts all day.