ALL Saints’ students Ben Westhenry and Jake Guildford did the school and themselves proud at the English Schools Track & Field Championships in Birmingham. In the top competition for schools-age athletes, Westhenry, 15, ran a superb race in the Inter boys (under-17) 1,500m steeplechase.

He claimed fourth place with a new personal best time of 4.23 minutes, a time which would have seen him gain the gold in previous years. In the fastest 1,500m steeplechase race ever in the 80-year history of the championships, Berkshire’s Zak Seddon broke the championship record to claim gold. The top four athletes pulled away from the chasing pack with 800m to go and Westhenry did well to stay with the top three as he was by far the least experienced at steeplechase – the race being only his fourth ever attempt at the discipline.

He was gaining on third-placed Matt McLaughin of Middlesex as they came down the final straight but McLaughlin (4.21mins) held on.

Westhenry, a member of Weymouth St Paul’s Harriers (WSPH), is now ranked fourth in the UK and he still has another year in this age group.

The competition was televised live on Sky Sports 3 and the atmosphere in the stadium was superb. As a distance, finalist Westhenry attended a session hosted by Kelly Holmes.

Fellow All Saints’ student and WSPH member Guildford also impressed in his first national championship, competing in the junior boys’ shot.

Guildford, 14, has thrown more than 15m in training, but in the nerve-racking atmosphere of the championship, and hampered by his left hand in a cast, he threw well below his best.

However, his effort of 12.71m (still an English standard throw) gained 10th place in a field of 24 – a huge achievement. Now that he has got the experience of national competition under his belt he will hope to show his true potential at the England Athletics Under-15 and Under-17 National Championships in Bedford this month.