Silver success for Laura McDonald

JUST as many local youngsters were turning their attention to an impending return to school last weekend, athlete Laura McDonald was representing her school, Wymondham High, as a member of the England Schools squad.

She, along with around 1,600 other competitors, were based within the athletes' village at the University of Newcastle campus.

The Sainsbury's UK School games brought together teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England to compete in a four-day competition which included teams from a wide variety of sports.

The overall aim of championship was to replicate a major international multi-sports competition such as the Commonwealth games or the Olympics.

At the Gateshead stadium Laura competed in both the javelin and as part of the 4 by 100m sprint relay team.

Laura, who took the U17 national javelin title a few weeks earlier, competed in the javelin event and secured a worthy silver medal for her team. The following day she joined forces with fellow City of Norwich athlete Clieo Stephenson, Derby runner Yasmin Miller and Birmingham's Melisa Hanson to run a fantastic 4x100m relay.

The team were just pipped at the post by the team from Scotland who finished by a mere 0.03 of a second ahead of them.

All in all, a fantastic season for this young local athlete in what is her first year of national competition.