Excellent weather helped athletes to achieve 14 championship-best performances at this year's Kent Schools Athletics Championships, writes Alan Newman.

There were more than 70 English Schools Championship entry standards, with over 20 elite National Standards (NS) among them, leaving plenty for selectors to ponder with the English Schools Track and Field Championships in Birmingham on July 11-12.

Year 7 pupils do not compete in the English Schools, but that did not bother Ashford athletes Ben Bennett (800m, 2min19.03sec) and Jade Curtis (long jump, 4.69m) who both set new records.

Junior boys’ best performances were established by Toby Seal (S’oaks & Tonbridge) in 80m hurdles (11.33sec, NS); Harvey Stacey (SE Kent) in 300m heats (37.49); George Maher (Ashford) in pole vault (3.50, NS) and Alfie Scopes (S’oaks & Tonbridge) in discus (46.50, NS).

The junior girls’ standards were raised by Rebecca Hawkins (Bexley) in high jump (1.75, NS); Eloise Locke (Bromley) in shot (11.63, NS); Victoria Wilshire (Bromley) in hammer (44.59, NS) and Emily Knights-Toomer (St Augustine & Canterbury) in javelin (35.86, NS).

New intermediate girls’ records were set by Sabrina Sinha (Bromley) in the 1,500m (4.22.34, NS); Jennifer Mbu (St Augustine & Canterbury) in shot (10.97); Ashleigh Thurman-Newell (Thanet) in hammer (43.27) and Laura Arnold (Medway) in javelin (32.89).