Colchester Harriers quartet in fine form at English Schools Athletics Championships

Joy Ogunleye, Caitlin O'Reilly, Sam Shippey and Rebecca Jeggo all competed for their school county teams at the Birmingham International Athletics Stadium.

Ogunleye took part in the Senior Girls' 100 metres for Essex, finishing third in a tough heat in a time of 12.25 seconds.

She qualified for the final, where she finished seventh.

O'Reilly also competed in the Senior Girls' 100m and was representing Suffolk for the sixth time.

The talented youngster, who was Suffolk's women’s team captain for the event, clocked 12.66s which was outside of the qualifying times.

Sam Shippey competed for the first time for Essex, in the Junior Boys' 300m.

Drawn in what proved a strong heat, he had an incredible run to finish third in a new personal best (PB) time of 36.52s, achieving the national standard for the first time.

This time broke his own club record and qualified for the final, where he finished seventh.

Running for Essex for the final time was Rebecca Jeggo, in the Senior Girls' 200m.

Spurred on by being awarded their women’s team captain, she finished second in her heat in a time of 25.06s before finishing seventh in the final.

Ogunleye and Jeggo also ran in the Senior Girls' 4x100m relay, for a strong Essex team.

With all four athletes qualifying for their event’s individual finals, Essex were comfortably the fastest qualifiers from the heats.

However, with the leg two runner being helped off the track in the 100m final and Jeggo needing medical assistance after her 200m final, it was touch and go whether they would even compete in the final.

With Ogunleye giving Essex the lead from her first leg, Jeggo held off the fast finishing Surrey athlete on the home straight, to secure a well-deserved silver for Essex.

Essex won the overall team event, finishing more than 70 points ahead of the second-placed county.

The trophy was collected by Jeggo, in what was a satisfying end to her time at the English Schools competition.