THERE were some excellent performances and several new records created by the Dartford Harriers contingent at last weekend’s 79th English Schools’ track and field championships in Sheffield.

This prestigious event is the largest of its kind in the UK, with an entry in excess of 1,800 school age athletes from 44 English counties.

All had booked their place by achieving stringent qualifying standards having pursued their dream for several years.

To add to the occasion, three world class athletes were on hand to present medals and give advice.

Chief guest was Peter Elliott, who won four ESAA titles for 800m and cross country and Olympic silver in 1988.

Other celebrity guests were double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes and Olympic sprinter Jason Gardner.

Saturday's events were televised on Sky Sports.

The weather was kind, paving the way for some excellent performances and several new records.

There were thrills, and a few spills, from the seven members of Dartford Harriers selected to represent Kent.

Pride of place went to 13-year-old Gemma Brown, the Kent under-15 discus champion. Making her English Schools debut, she won the bronze medal with a personal best and AAA grade one throw of 30.87m.

Both the gold and silver medallists are a year older in the junior girls age group.

Her sister Samantha, bronze medallist in the under-15 75m hurdles 12 months ago, was this year eighth in the under-17 300m hurdles.

Her time of 45.96s was a personal best and an AAA grade one standard.

Natalie Hickmott, 15, made her third outing to the ESAA Championships, fighting her way through the 300m heats and semis to the final.

She only just missed out on the medals, finishing fourth with only two hundredths of a second between second, third and fourth places.

Her time of 39.71s is an AAA grade one and a new club record.

Both Natalie and Sam were in the Kent 4x100m relay team which finished fourth in the final.

In his second ESAA championship, Tim Billings produced a shot putt of 14.86m for fourth spot in the under-17 boys’ event.

This was a very good effort as earlier in the season he sustained an injury in his favoured event, the javelin.

Two other athletes had injury problems.

Under-17 competitor Adam Chalk in his first English Schools was a possible medal contender in the 100m hurdles, qualifying for the semis in a time of 13.7s.

However, a severe foot injury sustained in the 4x100m relay saw him running in pain in the 100m hurdles semi and spoilt his chance of making the final.

Also suffering injury problems was Daniel Shaw, who was competing in the senior boys’ under-19 javelin.

Following his second place in the southern championships on June 20, where he set a personal best of 54.70m, subsequent shoulder problems saw him finishing in 12th place with a throw of 49.11m.

Aaron Barham was also taking part in his first English Schools, competing in the under-17 boys’ high jump.

He cleared 1.82m, short of his pb of 1.87m, finishing in 11th place.