TAUNTON'S College speed machine Kessia Sherliker already has two English Schools' medals in her sparkling collection.

Last year the 200 metres specialist won intermediate girls' bronze while, as a junior, she famously roared her way to silver in a pair of borrowed spikes.

A return to the medal podium this year will be tougher than ever for the AS Level student from Locks Heath.

Although she comfortably pulled off an under-19 100/200m double at Saturday's Hampshire Schools' Championships, Sherliker knows it will be a tall order to shine at national level as a first-year senior.

The level-headed 17-year-old said: "This is a learning year for me because I've gone into the higher age group. I'd be happy to get into the final this year."

Hampered by a tight calf, Sherliker went into Saturday's 200m final safe in the knowledge that she had already run inside the English Schools' qualifying mark of 25.8 seconds at the Southern Under-20s at Watford.

Despite the niggle, she still managed a respectable 25.7 at Portsmouth having already struck 100m gold for Southampton in 12.9. That put her hot in the running for the Bill Bishop Trophy for the day's best sprint performance, but she just lost out to Aldershot's 200m whizkid Marimba Odundo-Mendez.

Coached by Southampton City's Pete Wareing and her father, Roger, Sherliker is planning to move up a distance in the future.

She revealed: "I've run a few 4x400m relays and I'd like to give the 400m a try."

Sherliker is currently engrossed in her exams at Taunton's and hopes to study Spanish at university.

Her running, though, will remain a priority and she said: "It would be good to go to either Bath or Cardiff, who both have excellent centres for sport."

For more reports and pictures from the Hampshire Schools, see today's Daily Echo