SOUTHAMPTON’S throwers stole the show for Hampshire at the 85th English Schools’ Track & Field Championships in Gateshead.

Josh Douglas, Sam Callaway and serial golden girl Sophie Merritt - all members of Southampton AC - accounted for three of the county’s five victories, while another gold went to Bursledon-based Serena Vincent, a student at The Gregg School, Townhill Park.

Douglas’s junior boys’ discus triumph was a remarkable achievement for a young man who only started throwing competitively for the first time in April when he was taken under the wing of Southampton AC throws coach Bill Bushnell.

For the 14-year-old Thornden schoolboy to lift the English Schools’ title just three months later was the stuff of dreams – Josh throwing 40.94 metres to pocket gold.

Just 24 hours later Sam Callaway completed a junior discus double for Hampshire in the girls’s event.

Sam – daughter of international throws duo Dave and Debbie – had dipped her toes into the English Schools’ pond with fourth place last year.

This time, there was no beating her as the Hampshire Collegiate schoolgirl threw 35.19 for gold – nearly four metres clear of her nearest rival.

There was another glorious achievement in the senior age-group where Peter Symonds College student Sophie Merritt completed an incredible clean sweep of six English Schools’ titles.

The 18-year-old from Newbridge, near Cadnam, has proved unbeatable at junior, intermediate and senior level, this time defending the senior girls’ shot crown with a golden put of 13.64 metres.

Serena Vincent, the south coast’s new kid on the shot put block, underlined her status as national under-15 number one with junior girls’ gold.

Originally a runner, Vincent only turned to throwing when she was beset by injury and the slightly-built 14-year-old has been tearing up the record books ever since.

Coached by Bronwin Carter at City of Portsmouth AC, she added yet another title to her collection with a put of 13 metres precisely.

Completing Hampshire’s nap hand of golds was Mair Edwards of Costello School, Basingstoke, who sped to a 24.84-second victory in the intermediate girls’ 200 metres.

The county’s golden haul was matched by five silvers for Cams Hill’s Maisie Grice (inter girls’ 1500m steeplechase, 4.59.56), Tom Hewson (John Hanson, inter boys’ javelin, 58.93), Gaia Osborne (St John’s College, inter girls’ shot put, 13.98), Ben Pattison (Robert Mays, junior boys’ 800m, 1.57.03) and the senior girls’ 4x100m quartet (47.80).

Barton Peveril’s Adam Jones brought one of two bronze medals home to Hampshire, clearing 2.03 metres in the senior boys’ high jump. Sherfield School's Kierra Barker matched him with third in the senior girls’ long jump (5.71).

2016 ENGLISH SCHOOLS’ TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS, GATESHEAD

Hampshire results -

JUNIOR BOYS 100m: Carter Clothier (Bedales) 5th heat 11.68, 8th semi 11.79 200m: Taikiko Taukei (Noadswood) 1st heat 23.40, 4th final 23.63 300m: Edward Metcalfe (Eggars) 3rd heat 37.34, 5th final 36.61 800m: Ben Pattison (Roberts Mays) 2nd heat 2.02.46, 2nd final SILVER 1.57.03; James Jerram (Thornden) 4th heat 2.00.77, 4th final 2.01.10 80m hurdles: Charlie Brown (King’s) 5th heat 12.04 Discus: Joshua Douglas (Thornden) 1st final GOLD 40.94 Javelin: Joshua Wise (Oaklands) 6th final 48.52, Kameron Duxbury (Crookhorn) 7th final 46.42 4x100m relay: Hampshire 2nd heat 45.47, 5th final 45.46

INTERMEDIATE BOYS 400m: Reiss Jarvis (Wyvern) 3rd heat 51.07, 4th final 50.25, Lyndon Olowe (St George’s) 3rd heat 51.35 3000m: Lachlan Wellington (Cams Hill) 4th final 9.00.56, Zak Mahamed (Cantell) 10th final 9.09.35 High jump: Malachi Gair (Robers Mays) 4th final 1.89 Discus: Ben Upfold (Mountbatten) 9th final 35.70 Javelin: Tom Hewson (John Hanson) 2nd final SILVER 58.93

SENIOR BOYS 100m: Jack Davies (Brockenhurst) 8th heat 11.59 400m: Owen Richardson (Sherfield) disqualified 3000m: Mahamed Mahamed (Itchen Sixth Form) 8th final 8.35.08 High jump: Adam Jones (Barton Peveril) 3rd final BRONZE 2.03, Glen Foster (Peter Symonds) 7th final 1.97 Triple jump: Joshua Goble (Peter Symonds) 4th final 13.65 Discus: Matthew Callaway (Peter Symonds) 15th final 31.65

JUNIOR GIRLS 800m: Saffron Moore (Cams Hill) 3rd heat 2.16.34, 8th final 2.20.55 1500m: Isabel Richardson (King Edward VI) 9th heat 4.53.85 75m hurdles: Hollie Thurgood (Bay House) 4th heat 11.60, 6th semi 11.63 High jump: Tallulah Jeffes (St Swithuns) =13th 1.54 Shot put: Serena Vincent (The Gregg) 1st final GOLD 13.00, Sarah Hunt (Swanmore) 4th final 11.70 Discus: Samantha Callaway (Hampshire Collegiate) 1st final GOLD 35.19, Elizabeth Adamson (St Swithuns) 19th final 24.74

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS 100m: Ellie Hodson (Wildern) 2nd heat 12.45, 5th semi 12.34 200m: Mair Edwards (Costello) 2nd heat 24.82, 1st semi 24.96, 1st final GOLD 24.84, Darcie Henderson (John Hanson) 1st heat 25.53, 6th semi 25.96 300m: Abigail Dennison (St Swinthuns) 4th heat 40.77, Lydia Sommers (Robers Mays) 5th heat 40.51, Bobbie Davies (Cams Hill) 7th heat 41.72 800m: Rebecca Bullock (Calthorpe Park) 5th heat 2.17.07 3000m: Lucy Pygott (Farnborough Hill) Did not start 1500m steeplechase: Maisie Grice (Cams Hill) 2nd final SILVER 4.59.56, Rebecca Poole (Bishop Challoner) 13th final 5.26.57 High jump: Amaya Scott (Mountbatten) 7th final 1.68, Hannah Haugvik (Robert Mays) 17th final 1.59 Shot put: Gaia Osborne (St John’s College) 1st Pool A 14.06, 2nd final SILVER 13.98, Amelia Cook (Sherfield) =4th Pool A 12.50, 7th final 13.19, Emma Froome (Wildern) 6th Pool B 12.25, 11th final 12.17 Discus: Heather Cubbage (Springfield) 5th final 36.45 Javelin: Katherine Abel (Calthorpe Park) 19th final 34.55 4x100m relay: Hampshire Did not finish (heat one)

SENIOR GIRLS 100m: Izzy Bryant (Barton Peveril) 2nd heat 12.32, 6th final 12.60, Kennedy Bayes (Farnborough Sixth Form) 3rd heat 12.46, Amy Teal (Peter Symonds) 7th heat 12.72 400m: Hannah McClay (Farnborough Sixth Form) 4th heat 58.58 800m: Evie Grice (Peter Symonds) 1st heat 2.16.13, 8th final 2.22.48 1500m steeplechase: Anna Sharp (Peter Symonds) 8th final 5.09.79 Long jump: Kierra Barker (Sherfield) 3rd final BRONZE 5.71 Triple jump: Hollie Garrathy (Richard Taunton) 9th final 10.76 Shot put: Sophie Merritt (Perter Symonds) 1st final GOLD 13.64 Discus: Evangeline Wilcox (Farnborough Sixth Form) 4th final 37.86, Isobel Gray (Peter Symonds) 8th final 33.06 Javelin: Millie Cavanagh (Itchen Sixth Form) 8th final 38.12 4x100m relay: Hampshire 3rd heat 48.42, 2nd final SILVER 47.80