IMOGEN Newby is ready to prove that she can challenge in a higher age group when the Halstead archery star heads to the Junior National Outdoor Championships this weekend.

The 14-year-old Hedingham School pupil made headlines last week when she broke eight national records over two days while shooting on county duty and at the West Essex Open.

She now heads to Lilleshall for the Junior National Outdoor Championships having had a birthday since those achievements and will now be competing against archers up to two years older than her, but the Halstead ace sees it as an opportunity to prove she can battle just as hard at the older level.

The Braintree Bowmen Archery Club member said: "I'm aiming, if possible, to beat my scoring from the recent competitions when I broke eight national records and if not beat it, then to get very close to it.

"Hopefully I'll improve on it as I'd like to get a medal.

"Of course I'd like first place, but I'm going to be on the younger side of the group I'll be in in now so I'll have to see how I go.

"I'll expect slightly less and be pleased for anything more.

"I'm 14 now and am heading into the under-16s.

"That means shooting over a further distance, which is much harder.

"When I've stepped up age groups before I know it's all about finding your feet, but you want to put down a marker to say to other archers 'I'm here and I'm coming up - be warned!'.

"I just want to prove to myself that even though I'm on the younger side, I can beat people who are nearly two years older than me."