ATHLETICS: Morgan targets England junior place (From This Is Wiltshire)

JUMP ace Morgan Gascoigne is hoping she can take her performances to another level in 2013 and is targeting an England junior debut by the end of the year.

The 18-year-old Swindon Harrier enjoyed a superb 2012, winning double gold in long and triple jump at the England Athletics South West Championships & Inter Counties, the Wiltshire County Championships, the South West Schools' Championships and the Wiltshire Schools' Championships.

Her achievements were recognised when she was voted for by the public as the Swindon Advertiser Young Sportswoman of the Year last month, and now the teenager is hoping to kick on and gain selection for her nation.

“If I carry on the way I'm doing, my coach is looking for me to get an English vest in the juniors by the end of this year or the start of next year,” she said.

“It would mean so much to represent England, it would be an amazing opportunity if it did arise.

“I'm really passionate about my sport, it's brought me through all sorts of trials and tribulations. It's shown that it's paid off in the end.

“Hopefully it will drag me onto bigger and better things.”

Gascoigne admitted she had been taken aback by just how much her performances improved in the last 12 months, and said it had made all her hard work worthwhile.

“It was a great year, it was one of those years that took me by surprise,” she said.

“I've been working very hard for the last eight or nine years and I didn't realise it would take me this far, it's been something quite special.

“Towards the end of the season is the stage where you would expect to improve the most, but I didn't expect to improve as much as I did.”