ESSEX finished a fantastic second in the intermediate girls heptathlon competition at the English Schools Combined Events Championships – despite being an athlete down.

The team of Michelle Hughes, Kiera Tippett and Charlotte Skeggs were not expected to challenge for a place on the podium after the late withdrawal of their leading athlete Naomi Harryman.

Harryman was the second-ranked under-17 heptathlete in the country going into the competition but was forced to pull out of competition because of an injury.

But former Southend High School for Girls pupil Hughes and the Basildon AC pairing of Tippett and Skeggs raised their games magnificently to finish second.

Hughes, of Havering AC, added to a long list of achievements this summer by finishing second with a best ever score of 4,841 points including a superb high jump clearance of 1.70m.

She ran 11.59s for the 80m hurdles, putted the shot 10.06m, clocked 25.76s in the 200m, leapt 5.25m in the long jump, threw the javelin 31.30m and ran 2m 33.46s for the 800m.

Her second placed ensured she will represent England for a second time this year at the Home Nations Combined Events Championships in December.

Skeggs and Tippett, who were both a year younger than most of their rivals, finished in 23rd and 25th places respectively.

Echo:

Charlotte Skeggs (!6) and Kiera Tippett (17) in the 80m hurdles

Skeggs, who has just begun being coached by Dean Macey, set three new PBs on her way to a new best points tally of 3,763.

The Beauchamps School pupil’s PBs came in the high jump (1.49m), shot (8.08m) and 200m (28.25s) to add to her 80m hurdles time of 13.12s, 4.69m long jump, 28.79m javelin and 2m 42.45s 800m.

King John School pupil Tippett, who has been concentrating on her triathlon career in recent weeks, showed she still has a bright future in track and field with a number of PBs of her own.

Her overall points tally of 3,422 was a new best and she set new benchmarks in the 80m hurdles (14.48s), 200m (28.84s) and javelin (27.36m), adding to a clearance of 1.34m in the high jump, an 8.18m shot put, 4.18m long jump and 2m 29.64s 800m.

The senior girls Essex team also finished as runners-up with Grays’ Chay Clark leading the quartet in 12th spot with 4,146 points.

Clark’s record was 15.58s for the 80m hurdles, 1.61m high jump, 7.61m shot put, 26.81s 200m, 4.76m long jump, 19.25m javelin and 2m 24.77s 800m.

There was a quartet of south Essex athletes in the county’s intermediate boys team which just missed out on third place.

FitzWimarc School’s Kris Brown led the way as he finished in ninth place with 4,566 points.

Brown had a flying start setting PBs in the long jump (5.73m), discus (35.24m) and his strongest event the javelin (54.73m).

He then set another PB in the final event of the weekend, the 1,500m (4m 47.56s).

Southend High School for Boys’ Bradley Barrett was the next Essex scorer in 26th with a PB points tally of 3,925 which included a PB in the 400m (56.30s), high jump (1.82m) and 1,500m (5m 49.91s). His other events included: long jump (5.34m), discus (28.64m), javelin (31.95m), 100m hurdles (15.43s) and shot put (11.34m).

Eastwood School’s James Regan was 28th with 3,884 points (LJ 5.69m, DT 26.04m, Jav 34.48m PB, 400m 58.31s, 100mh 16.35s, HJ 1.67m, SP 10.26m, 1,500m 5m 5.75s).

Cecil Jones College pupil Keiran Pottle was the fourth Essex scorer in 30th with 3,756 points that included three new PBs (LJ 5.99m, DT 26.04m), Jav 35,10m PB, 400m 57.55s, 100mh 17.15s, HJ 1.67m PB, SP 9.27m PB, 1,500m 5m 16.23s).

In the senior boys decathlon, Billericay student Alex O’Brien was 20th with 4,730 points.