TWO athletes secured medals for Herefordshire and Worcestershire at the New Balance English Schools’ Athletics Association (ESAA) Track and Field Championships in Gateshead.

Danielle Hopkins, who attends The Chase School in Malvern, won silver in the junior girls’ high jump with a height of 1.72 metres, which was one centimetre over her personal best.

Hereford Sixth Form College’s Isobel Parry-Jones, who ran the 800m in two minutes 13.5 seconds, took a bronze medal.

Thirty-five top athletes from the two counties travelled after making it through school, district, county and inter-county championships before waiting for the go-ahead from the regional selectors.

The team were missing intermediate boys’ high jumper Joel Khan from Worcester’s Tudor Grange Academy due to his selection for Great Britain at this week’s European Youth Championships in Georgia.

In Gateshead, Jonathan Jones, of Herefordshire and Ludlow College, smashed his PB to finish fifth in the senior boys’ hammer with a throw of 61.07m.

Bryony Haines, of The Bewdley School and Sixth Form Centre, placed seventh in the senior girls’ 3,000m in 9.59.15.

Haines has represented the counties every year in both track and field and cross-country events through the junior, intermediate and now senior levels.

William Richardson, of Baxter College, Kidderminster, has achieved a similar representation for Herefordshire and Worcestershire schools over the years and was ninth in the senior boys’ 3,000m.

In the relays, the intermediate and senior boys’ teams reached their finals.

The intermediate boys’ team of Harry Liversidge from Bromsgrove School, Oliver Gould from The De Montfort School, Evesham, Dan Banks from Tudor Grange Academy and Josh Pearson from St Augustine’s Catholic High School, Redditch, placed sixth.

The senior boys lost out on a bronze medal in the final few metres to finish a frustrating, yet respectable, fourth.

Their team was made up of Ollie Biddle and Jack Hocking from Worcester Sixth Form College, Tom Kenwright from Pershore High School and Cody Cooke from Herefordshire and Ludlow College.

In the various age group team competitions, the senior boys were the highest ranked from Herefordshire and Worcestershire as seventh out of the 14 counties.

Both the senior and junior girls’ teams finished in ninth position.