TO SAY Henry Beaufort's English Schools' high jump heroine Anna Newton was introduced to athletics at an early age is something of an understatement.

She was only three months old when she first made the acquaintance of Debbie Davis, one of her coaches at the Winchester & District Athletics Club!

Davis, who lives near the Newton family in South Wonston, used to be Anna's childminder, and at the same time as she was encouraging her own sons into athletics, she got her young charge involved too.

Newton proved a fast learner.

Having started out as a sprinter, the 14-year-old has excelled in a multitude of disciplines and will head into September's English Schools' multi-events championships ranking second in her age group in the country.

But, for the moment, it's the high jump that is capturing the attention after Newton struck junior girls' gold for Hampshire in the English Schools' Track & Field Championships at Gateshead.

Although her 1.61 clearance was two centimetres short of her personal best, it was enough to clinch her gold on countback from Somerset's Hattie Scaramanga who achieved the same height.

Davis smiled: "Anna loves her athletics and she thoroughly deserves this.

"She started out sprinting, but I try to encourage the kids to have a go at everything. Being a multi-eventer is brilliant. It keeps youngsters interested in athletics much longer."

Newton wasn't the only Winchester-trained athlete to strike gold. Sprinter Marimba Odundo-Mendez, who is coached by Debbie's husband John Davis, finally lived up to his promise by winning the senior boys' 200m title in 21.65 seconds.

The Lord Wandsworth College student, also a promising rugby player, headed straight off to Manchester afterwards and finished fifth in his heat in the senior AAAs/Olympic Trials.

After drawing a blank for gold medals at Sheffield last year, Hampshire this time returned home with five.

Both Ringwood's Susie Hignett and Lord Wandsworth's Laurence Cox led from gun to tape to win the senior girls' 3000m (9.31.69) and inter boys' 1500m (3.58.22) titles respectively, while Courtmoor's Jamie Broadey won the junior boys' javelin with a throw of 52.86 metres.

Cox's win earns him an England vest for this Saturday's schools' home countries international in Chelmsford, along with Winton's Louis Sellers (48.58), who was just pipped for intermediate boys' 400m gold by Durham's Lewis Robson (48.20).

Andover lad Sellers, another member of the Winchester & District club, has a slight injury worry, however.

He hobbled away with a sore hamstring after the 4x100m relay at Gateshead and is due to see a physio this week.

Testbourne's Holly Croxford (25.33) had to settle for junior girls' 200m silver behind Staffordshire's Jazmine Rowe (24.87), while Ryde High's Kim Murray added intermediate girls' long jump bronze (5.74) to the junior silver she won last year.

Murray's fellow Islander, Amy Church from Sandown, was also a bronze medallist, hurling the senior girls' hammer 44.29 metres.

Eileen Williams, chairman of the Hampshire & Vectis Schools' AA, was delighted with the medal haul, but had reservations about the strength in depth of the squad.

She said: "To win five golds and nine medals in total is excellent.

"The only slight problem is the number of athletes who came out of the championships without even a standard. The depth is not there.

"Mind you," she added, "the conditions didn't help.

"The weather in Gateshead on Friday was foul - very cold and windy.

"It wasn't a problem for the sprinters because the wind was behind them, but it made life very difficult for the 400m runners and the middle distance athletes.

"In those sort of conditions, our medal tally was good."