ANNA Merritt put last year’s nerves behind her to strike gold at the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships in Birmingham.

The Newbridge-based youngster, who attends Godolphin School, Salisbury and competes for Wiltshire Schools, dominated the junior girls’ discus with a lifetime best throw of 34 metres exactly.

It was almost two metres clear of her nearest rival, placing her top of the UK rankings for under-15 girls.

The 14-year-old Southampton AC athlete follows in the footsteps of her big sister Sophie, a U20 Great Britain and England shot put/discus international who has just completed her first year at Jacksonville State University, Alabama.

Proud dad Colin said: “This was Anna's second visit to the English Schools’ Championships and, having struggled with nerves last year, a much more confident Anna turned up this year.

“A nervous first round throw heaped pressure upon Anna but, unlike last year, she grew in confidence and improved her distance round on round.

“Anna is quick to thank her fantastic coaches, Debbie and Dave Callaway, without whom she does not feel she could have achieved her success this year.

“They give up so much of their time for training and are also a wonderful support at competitions.”

The Hampshire Schools team returned home with four gold medals, a silver and five bronze.

They too came strong in the discus with Springfield’s Heather Cubbage claiming top spot on the intermediate girls’ podium with 42.70m, backed by Hampshire Collegiate’s Sam Callaway – daughter of Debbie and Dave – in fourth with a personal best 40.81m.

Other golds came from first-year junior girls’ high jumper Isabel Pinder (1.69), senior girls’ 200m sprinter Mair Edwards (24.04) and intermediate boys’ javelin ace Tom Hewson (64.22).

It was a sparkling weekend too for Bitterne Park School’s Callum Gregson who came second in the junior boys’ high jump.

Gregson, coached by Andy Fisher at Southampton AC, scaled a personal best 1.84m to pocket silver, taking him joint fourth in the national rankings.

Hampshire’s haul was completed by bronze medals for Mountbatten Schools' junior girls' high jumper Lara Scott, Ellie Farrow (inter girls’ 800m, 2.07.51), Rebecca Poole (inter girls’ 1500m steeplechase, 5.10.74), James Beeks (senior boys’ 2000m steeplechase, 6.02.27) and the senior girls’ 4x100m relay squad (47.32).

2017 English Schools’ Track & Field Championships, Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

Hampshire Schools’ results.

JUNIOR GIRLS.

200m: Amelia Spry (Horndean) 4th heat 26.13.

800m Saffron Moore (Cams Hill) 2nd heat 2.17.15, 6th final 2.16.90.

1500m: Alice Garner (Calthorpe Park) 10th heat 4.51.12.

75m hurdles: Tabitha Proudley (Testwood) 6th heat 12.07.

High jump: Isabel Pinder (Costello) 1st final, 1.69 GOLD, Lara Scott (Mountbatten) =3rd final 1.63 BRONZE.

Long jump: Jasmyn Allen (Brookfield) 13th Pool B 4.76, Yasmin Grosvenor (Hawley Place) 12th Pool A 4.91, Lana Blake (Ballard) 12th Pool B 4.87.

Discus: Ellie Lovett (Sandown) 7th final 28.01.

Hammer: Jessica Bennett (Bitterne Park) 6th final 36.25, Phoebe March (Cams Hill) 8th final 35.53.

4x 100m relay: Hampshire 2nd heat 49.43, 4th final 49.17.

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS.

200m: Hannah Childs (Bridgemary) 5th heat 25.71.

300m: Abigail Dennison (St Swithuns) 3rd heat 40.20, 8th final 40.29, Catherine Edwards (Costello) 7th heat 41.37.

800m: Rebecca Bullock (Calthorpe Park) 7th heat 2.17.73, Ellie Farrow (Ditcham Park) 1st heat 2.10.50, 3rd final 2.07.51 BRONZE, Anya Pigden (Churchers) 5th heat 2.16.84.

80m hurdles: Holly Thurgood (Bay House) 2nd heat 11.80, 8th final 11.77.

1500m steeplechase: Rebecca Poole (Bishop Challoner) 3rd final 5.10.74 BRONZE.

High jump: Amaya Scott (Mountbatten) 5th final 1.68, Jessica Gordon (Applemore) 13th final 1.62.

Discus: Samantha Callaway (Hampshire Collegiate) 4th final 40.81, Heather Cubbage (Springfield) 1st final 42.70 GOLD.

Hammer: Cerys Thomas (Purbrook Park) 8th final 50.58.

4x100m relay: Hampshire 2nd heat 48.64.

SENIOR GIRLS.

100m: Izzy Bryant (Barton Peveril) 3rd heat 12.47, Ellie Hodgson (Itchen College) 7th heat 12.65.

200m: Mair Edwards (Queen Mary’s) 1st heat 24.48, 1st final 24.04 GOLD, Jasmine McClutchie (Peter Symonds) 4th heat 25.76.

3000m: Charlotte Dannatt (Farnborough Hill) 11th final 10.16.52.

1500m steeplechase: Maisie Grice (Peter Symonds) 7th final 5.07.93.

Triple jump: Hollie Garrathy (Richard Taunton) 10th final 11.11.

Discus: Isobel Gray (Peter Symonds) 8th final 38.30.

Javelin: Millie Cavanagh (Itchen College) 6th final 41.09.

Shot put: Millie Cook (Queen Mary’s) 4th final 11.16.

4x100m relay: Hampshire 2nd heat 48.19, 3rd final 47.32 BRONZE.

JUNIOR BOYS.

100m: Jacob Nelson (Brune Park) 3rd heat 11.52, 7th semi-final 11.45.

300m: Jack McDonald (Hounsdown) 2nd heat 36.67, 4th final 36.81.

800m: Liam Dunne (Bohunt) 3rd heat 2.03.50.

80m hurdles: Wilfred McKenzie (Brookfield) 3rd heat 11.54, 4th final 11.54, Elliott Evans (Cams Hill) 4th heat 11.82.

High jump: Callum Gregson (Bitterne Park) 2nd final 1.84 SILVER, Adam Robinson (Harrow Way) 7th final 1.72, Quinn Matthews (Lord Wandsworth) =12th final 1.64.

Long jump: Jordan Ford (Testbourne) 12th final 5.68.

Discus: Oliver Thatcher (Thornden) 16th final 31.98, Will Jones 22nd final 24.08.

Javelin: Bradley Jenvey (Toynbee) 8th final 46.82.

Hammer: Sam Clifton (Wildern) 12th final 33.58.

4x100m relay: Hampshire 1st heat 44.69, 5th final 45.16.

INTERMEDIATE BOYS

200m: Joe Martin (Hounsdown) 4th heat 22.65.

400m: Ben Pattison (Robert Mays) 2nd heat 49.75, 4th final 49.16, Jack Higgins (Bitterne Park) 3rd heat 49.53, 7th final 49.46.

800m: Dan Howells (Cove) 5th heat 1.58.97.

3000m: Zak Mahamed (Cantell) 6th final 8.43.07, Lachlan Wellington (Cams Hill) 4th final 8.39.47.

1500m steeplechase: Henry McLuckie (Christ the King) 9th final 4.33.16.

Long jump: George Rosam (Crofton) 12th final 6.28.

Javelin: Tom Hewson (John Hanson) 1st final 64.22 GOLD, Joshua Wise (Oaklands) 7th final 52.68, Kameron Duxbury (Crookhorn) 9th final 50.73.

SENIOR BOYS

400m: Lynden Olowe (Itchen College) 6th final 50.35.

3000m: Jack Boswell (Farnborough 6th) 9th final 8.46.95.

110m hurdles: Owen Lawrence (Itchen College) 4th heat 14.62, 7th final 14.84, Kaniya Mitshweni (Peter Symonds) 4th heat 14.70, 8th final 15.03.

400m hurdles: James Jackson (Peter Symonds) 3rd heat 56.05, 5th final 54.60, Tom Miller (Portsmouth Grammar) 6th heat 57.55.

2000m steeplechase: James Beeks (Queen Mary’s) 3rd final 6.02.27 BRONZE.

High jump: Glen Foster (Peter Symonds) 6th final 2.03, Adam Jones (Barton Peveril) 10th final 1.94 4x100m relay: Hampshire – did not finish heat.