HEREFORDSHIRE and Worcestershire's intermediate girls won their team competition in the Midlands regional round of the English Schools’ Athletic Association Combined Events Championships.

At Tilsley Park, Abingdon, the two counties faced Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, hosts Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

The intermediate girls now represent the Midlands at the National Schools’ Championships in Bedford in September.

Emma Sherwood (Hagley High), Danielle Hopkins (The Chase, Malvern) and Hannah Sahota and Daisy-Mai Clements (both Bromsgrove School) scored 1,264 points, 150 ahead of Derbyshire.

They tackled seven track and field disciplines over two days.

Sherwood also reached the podium in the individual competition, placing third with Hopkins 200 points behind in fourth.

Sherwood achieved six personal best performances and Hopkins two with both their points totals higher than last year when they also competed in the nationals.

The points totals for Sahota and Clements were much higher than anything they had achieved previously in their first year of competition in the age group.

This is only the second time a two counties' team has qualified for the national finals with the first two years ago involving Sherwood and Hopkins with the junior girls.

They will be joined at the nationals by James Milburn (Hereford Sixth Form College) as he placed third in the senior boys' decathlon.

Milburn produced three PBs in the shot, 100 metres and pole vault while equalling it in the long jump.

His points total of 5,305 was not far behind what he achieved at last year’s national finals.

The junior girls' team placed fifth with Ella Dew (Stourport High) finishing 11th, Amber Hopkins (The Chase) 12th and Louisa de Vos (King’s School Worcester) 18th.

Abi Timmington (Royal Grammar Worcester) picked up an injury while competing so her points could not contribute to the team total.

Willem Humphreys (King’s School) finished 10th in the inter boys' octathlon over two days in his first full combined events competition.

Matt Griffin (RSA Arrowvale, Redditch) had to withdraw with injury during day two when placed fourth after five events.

Luke Beever (King’s School) and Karnell Nunes-Smith (Hagley High) competed in the junior boys' pentathlon, finishing 10th and 11th respectively.