PLYMOUTH College’s director of modern pentathlon Robert Flack has described the school’s performance at the recent British Youth Fencing Championships as ‘truly outstanding’.

The college returned home from the championships in Sheffield with three gold medals and a bronze.

Ben Andrews, Abagael Black and Tia Simms-Lymn all won titles, while Taylor Foxwell-Moss also made the podium after beating team-mate Katy Miles in the quarter-finals at the English Institute of Sport.

Flack said: “This is a truly outstanding set of results, and congratulations must go to these students, not only for their success, but their continued dedication in training.”

Great Britain international Andrews, after his impressive performance at the recent World Championships, triumphed in the under-16 boys’ epee, beating Luke Mason 15-14 in a thrilling final.

Plymouth College Headmaster Jonathan Standen said: “Ben is a prodigious talent, of whom we are all extremely proud. He is a future Olympian in the making.”

Black took victory in the under-14 girls’ epee. After progressing through the elimination rounds, she met London’s Patrycja Krzyzaniak in the final.

The pair were the two highest ranked athletes in the country and so it was always going to be a tight and exciting contest, which Black eventually won 7-6.

Jamaican international Simms-Lymn triumphed in the under-18 epee event, convincingly beating Sarah Spice, from the South East, 15-8 in the final.

Her coach Peter Barrett said: “Tia was really on form and never looked under threat.”

Foxwell-Moss took bronze in the under-16 girls’ epee, losing to eventual champion Charlotte Slater, from Northern Ireland, in the semi-finals.

Foxwell-Moss had overcome her school colleague Miles 15-12 in the quarter-finals.

The college were also represented at the championships by Martha Miles (11th, U12 epee); Emma Andrews (21st, U16 epee); Lauren Singleton (15th, U16 epee) and Catherine Bishop (U18, epee).