AFTER a slow start to the season the under-11s of Weymouth St Paul's Harriers are beginning to move up the Wessex Quadkids League.

The youngsters train every week at the Marsh and they are beginning to transform their hard work into positive results.

In their latest competition at King's Park in Bournemouth they finished a very creditable third overall.

Ryan Chase and Alex Johnson were placed eighth and ninth respectively.

Johnson claimed a personal best of 2.09mins in the 600m and a season's best of 11.8 seconds in the 75 metres while Chase beat his 75m personal best with a time of 11.07secs and landed a season's best of 3.07m in the long jump.

Chase and Johnson were the pick of the Weymouth performers but the rest of the team also contributed with vital points.

Other personal bests came from Saxon Roy (75m - 12.06secs, 600m - 2.28mins), Joseph Heffell (75m - 12.09secs, 600m - 2.23mins), Sophie Llewellyn (75m - 13.1secs), and Emma Boyall (600m - 2.25mins).

Season bests were gained by Amy Lewellyn (75m - 14.6secs), Laura Boyall (ball throw - 10.7m), Emma Boyall (long jump - 3.02m, 75m - 13.2secs), and Emily Kench (75m -13.5secs).

Quadkids is a pilot project and is currently run for the Wessex League and for primary schools in Wiltshire. To date expectations have been exceeded with around 600 athletes involved.

Also at King's Park, under-13s from the Harriers performed well against their counterparts from Bournemouth, Camberley, Goring, Reading and Kennett Athletics Clubs.

Joe Madley, Harry Mitchell, Francis Parker Stanley, Matthew Strudwick and Benedict Westhenry made up the Weymouth squad and they all competed superbly, creating personal or season best times.

Westhenry was perhaps the most impressive in the 1,500m where he took four seconds off his previous best to finish in a time of 5.10.01mins.

Despite that incredible effort he still only came third behind two runners who were timed at 5.09.07mins and 5.09.09mins.

The Harrier felt he did not position himself correctly entering the final straight causing him to switch lanes in the last 20 metres in an attempt to overtake the eventual winner.

Westhenry also came third in the shot with a throw of 6.61m and fourth in the long jump with a leap of 3.73m.

Other personal bests came from Mitchell (discus - 13.61m), Madley (200m - 33.9secs), Stanley (B string long jump - 3.40m) and Strudwick (B javelin - 11.93m).

Weymouth St Paul's Harriers will be running a coach to the next Wessex Quadkids meet at Andover on July 8, and anyone interested should contact the club.