TALENTED Stotfold schoolgirl Hayley Kruse has achieved more athletics success. Kruse, who goes to Knights Templar School in Baldock, won team silver at the ESAA English Schools Combined Events Championships at the Moorways Stadium in Derby. She was part

TALENTED Stotfold schoolgirl Hayley Kruse has achieved more athletics success.

Kruse, who goes to Knights Templar School in Baldock, won team silver at the ESAA English Schools' Combined Events Championships at the Moorways Stadium in Derby.

She was part of the Herts schools' senior girls' heptathlon team which represented the South East of England having won the regional final at Lewes in June.

The team - Kruse along with Claire Jaggard and Natalie Farman (both from Simon Balle School) - put in a spirited effort and came second in their age group.

They had an overall score of 11,360 points - only 737 points behind the winners North Yorkshire with 12,097. Somerset followed in third place with 10,136.

Six teams competed - the others were Dorset (9,668), Kent (9,336) and Lancashire (6,132).

The heptathlon consists of seven events competed over two days - 100m hurdles, high jump, shot and 200m all on the first day, followed by long jump, javelin and 800m on the second day.

# Alice Middleton, who goes to Samuel Whitbread Community College in Clifton and is a member of Biggleswade AC, was also involved in the championships at Derby.

She represented Bedfordshire and Luton Schools in the senior girls' heptathlon. Initially Alice was a reserve - coming fourth in the regional qualifier in June - but she received a late call-up for the Eastern Region.

Six of the seven events saw her record personal bests. Event times and distances: 100m hurdles 17.18, high jump 1.39m, shot 7.23m, 200m 26.74, long jump 4.69m, javelin 25.61m and 800m 2:18.53.

Only one other athlete beat Alice's 800m time and that was the eventual winner of the heptathlon competition for under-20s.

The points total amassed over the two days was 3,875 points which was another personal best and a club record. This result puts Alice in the top 15 in the UK for under-20 women's heptathlon.

Her next event is the Eastern Counties Combined Events Championships at Peterborough this Sunday, which is over the five-event pentathlon as a senior woman.

P Summer is over for a dozen club members of Stevenage and North Herts AC.

The 12 began their winter season by competing in the Herts Young Athletes County Road Relay Championships at Hayes in conjunction with the host county of Middlesex.

The four teams came away with two firsts, one second and one third place. The teams all had three members who ran 3000m.

Star billing went to Joanne Mansell in the under-17 women's event.

Having run many fast 800m track races this summer, the longer distance was no problem. She ran the fastest time of all in this age group, clocking 10:58, only just slower than two of her male clubmates!

Sam McCormick (11:53) and Francesca Witney (12:23) joined Mansell to win their age group.

The club's under-17 men's team also collected the gold medal through Louis Naylor (11:30), Josh Saydraouten (10:52) and Callum McKechnie (10:43).

The under-13 girls' team of Sarah Pike (12:59), Bethany Hills (13:25) and Hannah Dewhurst (12:33) collected the silver medals in their event. And the under-15 boys' team of Lewis Keeble (11:22), Paul Spicer (13:07) and David Pickett (13:04) took home the bronze medals.