Oxfordshire javelin thrower Danielle Anderson, twice a silver medallist at the Aviva ESAA English Schools' Track & Field Championships, will bid to add gold to her collection at Sheffield’s Don Valley Stadium on July 10 and 11.
The 16-year-old from Matthew Arnold, Cumnor, occupied the runners-up spot at Gateshead in 2006 and 2008 – with Somerset’s Izzy Jeffs grabbing the glory on each occasion.
But Anderson is now ranked No 1 in the intermediate girls’ age group after launching the javelin 44.99m at the Southern Counties Under 20 Championships in Watford last weekend.
She is closely followed in the rankings by Hampshire’s Freya Jones, who has posted 44.95m.
Anderson spearheads a 25-strong Oxfordshire team, which includes ten other Oxon athletes have recorded national standards.
They include high jumper Cosima Berry, who is the second-ranked junior girl in the country.
The 14-year-old, from Tudor Hall, Banbury, has cleared 1.68m this season, a height which has only been bettered by Cornwall’s Jordanna Morrish with 1.71m.
In the boys’ competition, James Wright has medal prospects in the intermediate boys’ triple jump.
The 16-year-old, from Marlborough, Woodstock, is ranked third with 14.26m.
Missing from the Oxfordshire squad is Kirsty Warland, a gold medallist at Gateshead in 2006 and 2008, who has only just returned to training following injury.
OXFORDSHIRE TEAM Boys Senior – 800m: P Essink (St Birinus, Didcot).
Intermediate – 100m: J Wilson (Cokethorpe, Witney). 1500m: S Ferguson (Chipping Norton). 100mH: M Woodington (Wheatley Park). 400mH: P Barnshaw (Abingdon). Triple jump: J Wright (Marlborough, Woodstock). Discus: G Lane (Burford). Javelin: J Curtis (Cokethorpe).
Junior – 200m: J Dorrian (King Alfred’s, Wantage). 80mH: R Savage (St Edward’s, Oxford). Javelin F Curtis (Cokethorpe, Witney).
Girls Senior – 800m: S Tyers (Bloxham). Triple jump: N Delahunty (Headington).
Intermediate – 300m: R Hussey (Lord Williams’s, Thame). 300m: M Hawtin (Gosford Hill, Kidlington), B Swords (Headington). 80mH: L Brown (Marlborough). 300mH: J Gregory (Didcot). Long jump: S Keet (King Alfred’s). Javelin: D Anderson (Matthew Arnold, Cumnor).
Junior – 800m: C McMillan (North Oxon Academy). 1500m: I Kempton (Cherwell, Oxford), L Hawtin (Gosford Hill). High jump: C Berry (Tudor Hall, Banbury). Discus: E O’Hara (Larkmead, Abingdon).
l OXFORDSHIRE’S athletes go for more glory when the county hosts the Midland round of the English Schools’ Combined Events Championship at Horspath Road, Oxford, today and tomorrow.
Peter Barnshaw (Abingdon), Ed O'Hara (Larkmead, Abingdon) and Marcus Woodington (Wheatley Park), winners of the national junior boys’ pentathlon at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium last September, step up to the intermediate age group this year.
OXFORDSHIRE TEAM Boys Intermediate: P Barnshaw (Abingdon), E O'Hara (Larkmead), M Woodington (Wheatley Park).
Junior: R Savage (St Edward’s).
Girls Senior – B Burt (St Edward’s).
Intermediate – L Brown (Marlborough), E Carstairs (Lord Williams's), A Charlton (St Edwards), S Huxtable (Gillotts, Henley).
Junior – M Chapel (Cherwell), C McMillan (North Oxon Academy).
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