ROMSEY lad Tommy Davies has his sights on bagging his first ever English Schools' medal when the Championship finals take place at Sheffield next month (July 11/12).

But the talented 17-year-old, who was crowned national indoor AAA champion over 3,000 metres in Birmingham back in February, will be conspicuous by his absence when the county's top track and field youngsters meet for the annual Hampshire Schools' showdown at Portsmouth's Mountbatten Centre tomorrow (11am).

Instead of heading along the M27, Davies and his coach Rod Lock have decided he would be better served doing some 1500m groundwork at the British Milers' Club Nike Grand Prix meeting at Eton.

The Team Solent youngster can do so happy in the knowledge that he has already got the English Schools' qualifying time safely under his belt after a tremendous run at Wythenshawe, Manchester two weeks ago when he sliced nearly nine seconds off his 3,000m personal best.

The Peter Symonds College student clocked eight minutes, 33.15 seconds to finish seventh in that night's BMC 'C' race - a performance that should be more than enough to clinch him selection for Hampshire's 60-strong squad for Sheffield.

Davies's dad Keith explained: "Tommy's asked for and been granted exemption from the Hampshire Schools' Championships tomorrow so that he can go to Eton and concentrate on running a fast 1500m. The English Schools' qualifying time is 8.36 but he probably wouldn't have to go anywhere near that quickly to win the Hampshire Schools' title tomorrow. He'd rather do a 1500m to give him some basic speed for the 3k."

Davies had a disappointing English Schools' championship last year, ducking out in the heats of the 1500m, but he has blossomed over the longer distance this year.

Keith said: "Tommy's got more endurance than speed and the 3k is definitely his better event."

Davies is currently taking his A Levels and, if he gets the grades, he hopes to study sports science at Loughborough next year.

With Davies absent, Brookfield School's Ben Harding should be the pick of the distance men on show at Portsmouth tomorrow, starting as hot favourite to win the intermediate boys' 800m.

It's been a terrific year for the Titchfield Common lad who followed victory at the English Schools' Cross-Country Championships with an 800/1500m double at last month's Hampshire County Championships - both in championship best times.

Lord Wandworth speed machine Marimba Odundo-Mendez, who is in the process of joining Winchester & District AC, is the man to watch in the intermediate boys' 200m, while his fellow college student Christina Carding starts an even hotter favourite in the intermediate discus having struck gold at the English Schools' finals for the last three years.

Ray Scovell's pedigree stable of Isle of Wight hammer throwers are bound to get into the medals. For the first time there will be an intermediate girls' event this year, offering Islander Catherine Marvin a chance to shine.

Marvin, whose brother Richard competes in the junior boys' event, has thrown over 40 metres already this season.

Next week the focus of attention turns to the English Schools' Track & Field Cup which will this year stage its final at Southampton Sports Centre on Saturday, July 5.

Competed for by individual schools, the competition is approaching the regional final stages with the A final being held at Millfield next Wednesday two days after the B final at Yeovil.

Among those heading for Millfield are Toynbee School of Chandler's Ford.

Isle of Wight heptathlete Kelly Sotherton will compete for England alongside Olympic champion Denise Lewis in the Spar European Combined Events League match in Estonia next month (July 5-6).

Based in Birmingham, the 26-year-old Birchfield Harrier will travel high on confidence having scored a personal best of 5,893 points in Gotzis a fortnight ago.

For Lewis it will be her first heptathlon since the birth of her daughter, Lauryn, last year.