ON A hectic weekend, Jenna Blundell gave further proof that she is back to her best after injury – and is even nudging the door for selection to the European U18 Championships in Hungary, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 17-year-old former St Laurence School student, from Staverton, started the weekend with victory in the senior girls’ 100m hurdles at the South West Schools’ Track & Field Championships at the Exeter Arena on Saturday, clocking a lifetime best – unfortunately well over the two metres legal wind limit – of 14.17secs.

She then hopped into coach Julie Alexander’s car for the long trip to Bedford to race in the British U18 trials the following day to see if she could force her way into the national team for the European Championships.

Blundell gave it a great shot as she finished third in the race in a personal best of 13.86secs (the hurdles are set lower for this age group), which was just 0.06secs off the qualifying standard.

Coach Alexander said: “Jenna probably needs to run 13.6secs to have a chance of making the team so will have another go later this week and see if we can get the time.

“But for me, the story is how Jenna has come back so strongly after suffering such a lot of bad luck over the past year or so and has shown great determination. She is looking really good again.”

Blundell was representing Avon at Exeter as she is a student at the South Gloucestershire & Stroud College in north Bristol and was joined by Hilperton’s Caitlin Wosika, who is at college in Bath, as she won the senior girls’ 1,500m steeplechase.

As for the Wiltshire team, 12 athletes picked up 14 gold medals with doubles for the Salisbury pair of Molly Hole (inters high jump and shot) and Anna Merritt (inters discus and hammer).

One of the best wins came from Sheldon School’s Jake Burkey as he followed up his lifetime best of 6.93m set the previous week with a solid jump of 6.90m, which was another national standard.

St Augustine’s Catholic College student John Howorth ran well to defeat Avon’s Hugh Sadler to win the senior boys’ 1,500m, while Femi Akinbobola, of Sheldon School, clocked his fastest ever 200m in the inter boys’ heats – though the time of 22.71secs was wind-assisted – and then won gold in 22.91secs.

Ophelia Pye, a member of Marlborough & District Juniors, won the junior girls’ 300m in a time of 43.32secs.

Silver medals were won by Peter Adeosun in the inter boys 100m hurdles, Hilperton’s Robert Howorth in the senior boys 800m and Mickael Evloev in the junior boys’ shot and discus.

There were also bronze medals for Devizes School’s Will Scammell (inter boys 100m hurdles), Corsham’s Jade Littlechild (senior girls’ 1500m), Chippenham’s Ellery Cole (inter boys 800m), Lavington’s Georgia Pickford (senior girls’ discus) and Malmesbury’s Eleanor Webster (inter girls 800m).

Max Davis, of Avon Valley Runners, continued his good season with third place in the senior boys’ 3,000m.

Of the five championship records broken, one came back to Wiltshire, with Salisbury’s Bea Wood smashing the junior girls’ 1,500m record of 4:33.85 with 4:28.78.

South West Schools; Track & Field Championships, Exeter Arena, senior boys - 800: 2 Robert Howorth (W) 1:56.32; 1500: 1 John Howorth (W) 4:01.81; 3000: 3 Max Davis (A) 9:03.00; LJ: 1 Jake Burkey (W) 6.90 (+2.0w); TJ: 3 Kieran Short (W) 12.43; HT: 1 Josh Ricketts (W) 46.40.

Inter boys –200 (+2.9w): 1 Femi Akinbobola (W) 22.91 (hts 22.71 +2.7w); 400: 3 Matt Smith (W) 52.68; 800: 3 Ellery Cole (W) 2:04.42; 100H: 2 Peter Adeosun (W) 14.26; 3 Will Scammell (W) 14.41; 4x100m relay: 3 Wiltshire 46.02; Jav: 1 Thomas Holmes (W) 59.86.

Junior boys – 100 (+0.9w): 2 O Henry (W) 11.63; 200 (+2.6w): 3 Lanre Alli (W) 24.02; 800: 1 Robert Jones (W) 2:07.10; SP: 2 Mikael Evloev (W) 11.89; 2 Evloev 34.25; HT: 1 Will Compton (G) 44.72; 2 James Viner (W) 41.95; 3 Harry Ricketts (W) 39.97; 4 Owen Merrett (W) 39.56.

Senior girls - 100H (+5.0w): 1 Jenna Blundell (A) 14.17; 1500: 3 Jade Littlechild (W) 4:48.69; 1500S/C: 1 Caitlin Wosika (A) 5:18.27; DT: 3 Georgia Pickford (W) 31.43.

Inter girls –HJ: 1 Molly Hole (W) 1.69; SP: 1 Hole 12.69; LJ: 1 Gabrielle Kirkham (W) 5.35; DT: 1 Anna Merritt (W) 37.93; HT: 1 Merritt 50.02.

Junior girls – 200: 3 Delleah Belgrave (W) 26.59; 75H (+2.0w): 3 Willa Gibb (W) 11.23; 300: 1 Ophelia Pye (W) 43.32 (hts 42.88); 1500: 1 Bea Wood (W) 4:28.78 (CBP); SP: 1 Georgia Clarke (W) 10.63; Jav: 1 Megan Galpin (W) 40.11; HT: 3 Jolie Littlejohns (W) 25.02.