SOUTHAMPTON AC sprint ace Oli Bromby finished second in the England Athletics Under-20 Championships/World Junior Championship Trials at Bedford.

In a tight men’s 100 metres final, Bromby was edged out by World Youth bronze medallist Rechmial Miller of Hercules Wimbledon.

Miller clocked 10.47 seconds to see off Shirley-based Bromby for gold.

Bromby’s silver medal-winning time of 10.52 seconds was identical to his semi-final win. He had earlier won his heat in 10.59.

Britain’s team for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, next month (July 19-24) will be selected in two waves.

Last weekend’s winners – provided they have the qualifying standard – get the first nod and the second wave will be announced after this weekend’s junior international in Mannheim, Germany.

Gary MacDonald-Gray, who coaches Bromby with wife Sara, explained: “Oli is in the relay squad and is very likely to be selected as part of the 4x100 metres.

“The team is only 20-strong this year, compared with 46 in 2014, and there are, by my count, 23 athletes with the qualifying standard.

“There are more qualified overall, but a high number of those will be off to the European Youths (under-18s).

“So selection for an individual spot will depend on factors such as whether people are likely finalists, based on world rankings, major championships records, current form, injury record and win-loss against competitors.

“The best thing Oli can do is perform well next weekend and see where we all are next Monday.

“It is really difficult to tell how the selectors might go. They have a difficult task.”

Bromby’s Southampton teammate Sophie Merritt threw 14.03 for second in the women’s shot, beaten only by Ireland's Michaela Walsh of Swinford AC (15.15).

Fellow shot putter Archie Leeming placed fourth in the men’s under-23 event with 13.87, while Sam Bass-Cooper was fifth in the under-23 pole vault with 4.55 metres.

There was fifth too for under-20 high jumper Adam Jones who equalled his personal best (pb)of 2.05m, and for Jack Major in the under-23 110m hurdles (14.70).

Under-20 Max Costley posted a pb of 10.09.34 in only his second 3,000m steeplechase.

Elsewhere last weekend, Southampton AC’s Alex Beechey travelled to the Budapest European Athletics Permit meeting and was rewarded with a sparkling 200m pb of 21.48 sec when placing second in the men's A race.