A PAIR of young Herefordshire athletes came away with bronze medals from the prestigious Mason Trophy - one of the highlights of the English Schools athletics programme.

This took place at the Northwood Stadium in Stoke with representatives from 10 counties, including Greater Manchester, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Cheshire, competing in a full range of track and field events.

The competition features some of the best up and coming talent in England.

On a day of very mixed weather, six members of Hereford and County Athletics proudly wore the vest of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Schools.

There were two athletes from each county competing in each event and up to 20 athletes in every event.

Rafi Wilkinson took third in the under-17 Discus with a personal best. Whilst Ruben Mabberley equalled his personal best in the under-15 High Jump to also win a bronze medal.

Whilst the Mason Trophy was underway, Eva Tyler, from the senior girls’ team at Hereford and County Athletics raced in the 400 metres in the Midlands Counties League in Nuneaton.

She placed first with a personal best of 57.71 which is well within English Schools qualifying time, breaking her own club record in the process.

Tyler is now ranked 28th under-20 female in the UK and third in the West Midlands.

A number of athletes from Hereford and County Athletics from Year 7 and Year 8 were selected for the Hereford District Schools athletics competition for minor age groups that took place in Hereford.

Those athletes included Freya and Rebecca Davies, Chloe Strazdala, Saffi Reid, Poppy Hussey, Lidia Michniok, Martha Bakewell and Molly Blandford.

Freya Davies, Chloe Strazdala, Poppy Hussey and Saffi Reid secured first places in their events and qualified to represent their school and the district in the County Championships Athletics event at Nunnery Wood in Worcester. Rebecca Davies joined them following her performance in the javelin.

A cold and blustery day in Stourport greeted athletes for the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Schools Championships.

However, that did not stop 17 members of Hereford and County Athletics from Year 8 upwards from achieving an incredible eight gold medals, six silvers and a bronze, as well securing 16 personal bests.

Outstanding athlete of the day was Tessa Morgan, who in the middle of her GCSE’s, won two golds and a silver.

All athletes that placed first or second were selected to enter the Mason Trophy.