CITY of Plymouth athletes Poppy Northcott and Adam Dingley and Tavistock AC’s Phoebe Milburn all impressed at the 2022 School Games National Finals in Loughborough at the weekend.

Northcott and Milburn both claimed medals with personal best performances in Leicestershire, while Dingley was not far off making the podium.

The under-17 trio were picked for the prestigious multi-sport competition courtesy of being in the UK’s top eight in their respective events at the time of selection.

City of Plymouth’s UK-leading under-17 discus thrower Nubia Evans-Shields was also selected but unfortunately was unavailable for the two-day competition.

All the competitors invited to take part were split into different teams named after Commonwealth Games venues.

Northcott, representing Birmingham All Stars, produced a massive PB to win bronze in the under-17 girls’ 300m hurdles. She clocked 43.26 seconds, which was more than a second faster than she had run before. She was only beaten by the UK’s top two – Stephanie Okoro and Arabella Wilson.

Northcott, who was part of the winning team in Loughborough, has moved up to fourth in the national rankings due to her run at the weekend.

Tavistock hammer thrower Milburn also produced a big PB to win a bronze medal. She threw 50.75m, which was nearly 40cm further than her previous best, which she only set the week before. Milburn, representing Kuala Lumpar All Stars, was also only beaten by the UK’s top two – Aberdeen’s Angela McAuslan-Kelly and Huntingdonshire’s Willow Bedding. Milburn has moved up to fifth in the national rankings.

Dingley, competing for the Delhi All Stars team, produced a good run to finish fifth in the under-17 boys’ in 13.75 seconds, which was only 0.19 second off his PB.

The School Games National Finals, previously called the UK School Games, provide the opportunity for top young athletes to experience a mini-Olympic type event featuring 10 sports and compete as part of a wider team.