Gilbody and Singleton set the county gold standard

Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium was the venue for the event and Gilbody and Singleton took top billing as they both struck gold in their respective 3000m races.

While the talented duo topped the podium, a number of other youngsters impressed as Shropshire also claimed one silver and two bronze medals, while five other athletes secured top eight finishes and numerous personal bests were set.

Thomas Telford School student Gilbody had tasted English Schools success before, having won the 1500m at Manchester last year as a first year intermediate and also two cross country titles in Liverpool and Nottingham.

And now she has another gold to add to her collection after winning the closest of races in the intermediate girls’ 3000m, winning in 9.47.04.

Gilbody and her nearest rival Eliza Nicholson (London Schools), the number one ranked runner this season, pulled away from the field with two laps to go. It was neck and neck throughout those two laps and eventually the Shropshire star edged ahead to claim victory by just two hundreths of a second.

Shrewsbury School’s Singleton bagged Shropshire’s other gold in the in the senior boys’ 3000m.

In a crowded race with 20 other runners, Singleton ran very sensibly to keep out of trouble and then with two laps to go broke away with four others. As the race neared the final lap, he was well placed and when he sprinted for home no one could live with his blistering pace as he crossed the line in 8.37.24, just a second ahead of Hertfordshire’s Ethan Primett.

Jack Kinrade another Shrewsbury School athlete, ran well to qualify as one of the fastest from the heats for the final in the intermediate boys’ 800m.

In the final, which was tactical race, he was just edged out into second place in 1.56.50. Finishing in the first two means selection to represent England Schools at the British Schools Championships in Edinburgh.

The Shropshire bronze medals came from team captain Dan Galloway in the senior boys’ 1500m and Ellesmere’s Luke Edwards in the junior boys’ 100m.

Galloway comfortably qualified for the final, and then ran 3.57.19 to secure third.

Lakelands School year nine pupil Edwards, who is also a talented footballer on Shrewsbury Town’s books, has made impressive strides since trying his hand at athletics.

He did not run his first race until the end of May when he won the under 15 boys’ 100m in the Shropshire Young Athletes League at Much Wenlock. He followed that by winning the 100m and 200m in the Shropshire Schools Championships in early June – earning the Lambert Trophy for the best boys’ performance in the process.

An impressive display at the Mason Trophy Inter County meeting at Stoke a week later earned his place in the English Schools team. And he continued his rise up the ranks at Birmingham by running a personal best 11.29 to claim bronze.

He is now seventh and eighth respectively on the UK 100m and 200m rankings.

Beth Trow (Corbet School, Baschurch) followed up her England Schools international vest this winter at cross country, with a place in the intermediate girls’ 800m final after winning her heat.

She then ran 2.16.10 to finish fifth. She has another year in this age group and her finishing position equals her UK ranking.

Tegan Stoddart, in her final English Schools outing, was also fifth in the senior girls’ shot with a best putt of 12.36m.

The Thomas Telford student won the Shropshire Schools title in June with a performance that set a new championship best and earned her the Lambert Trophy for the best girls’ performance on the day.

Haberdasher Adams Newport student Harry Fallon, also finished a superb fifth in the junior boys’ long jump, setting a personal best of 5.97m.

His team-mate, Ethan Kendrick, was also delighted with his fifth-placed finish in the intermediate boys’ hammer. As a first year in the age group he threw 45.37m.

Other top 10 placings came from Jolyon Davis (Shrewsbury College), who finished sixth in the senior boys’ javelin (54.42m) and Amelia Hancock (Thomas Telford School), who was ninth the senior hammer with 38.48m.

In addition to all the Shropshire athletes taking part in the Championships, it is also a great honour to be invited to officiate at this meeting and Shropshire had 16 officials on duty including chief timekeeper Adie Pottinger from Bridgnorth.

Other Shropshire performances were -

Menna Pugsley, Concord College, Inter Girls 300m, 6th in heats, in a new personal best of 40.86.

Lewis Howard, Burton Borough, Junior Boys 1500m, 7th in heats, in a new 5 second personal best of 4.21.96.

Ralph Brown, Thomas Adams, Junior Boys 800m, 8th in heats, 2.05.93 just hundreths outside his fastest ever.

Paul Harrison, Thomas Telford, Inter Boys 1500m steeplechase, 21st in the final in 4.59.72.

Ebamiyo Sanu, Haberdasher Adams Newport, Inter Boys 200m, 8th in heat, 24.02.

Barnaby Rhodes, Haberdasher Adams Newport, Inter Boys 100m, 6th in heat 11.66.

Finlay Cullen, Bishops Castle, Inter Boys 3000m, 26th in the final in 9.34.85.

Joe Flynn, The Priory, Shrewsbury, Inter Boys 400m, 7th in heats in 52.99.

Isaac Brownlee-Jones, Wrekin College, Inter Boys 400m, 8th in heats in 52.31, a new personal best.

Joel Assouan, Haberdasher Adams Newport, Senior Boys 200m, 5th in heat in 22.53.

English Schools Track and Field Championships Report plus a few photos. Report delayed waiting for the team results but they have still not been published.