ANDOVER-based 800m star Emma Davies is looking for a repeat of her 1998 Commonwealth Games success.

Having set her personal best of 2min 2.36sec in the Kuala Lumpur semi-finals four years ago, the 22-year Belgrave Harrier struggled to recapture peak form while she was studying illustration and animation at Southampton Institute.

But with her degree safely in the bag, she is gearing up for another Com-monwealth push for Wales under the guidance of her dad, Lyn, and former Great Britain 800m star Peter Elliott.

Having overstretched herself in the first half of the race, Davies was at less than her elegant best crossing the 400m finishing line in 56.51 seconds at Portsmouth.

It was just enough to see off Basingstoke's Claire Robin-son, but she admitted: "I was all over the place, just hanging on in there.

"I did the first 200m in 25 seconds and, once you do that, it's game over."

Fortunately Davies has been timing her 800m better. A fruitful winter culminated in her slicing two seconds off her indoor personal best with 2.04.44.

Team Solent's Angus Maclean, another athlete harbouring Commonwealth ambitions, successfully defended his senior men's 800m title in 1.50.50, but will be switching back to his favoured 1500m in this weekend's Aqua-Pura International at Loughborough.

Davies and Tobin should also be at Loughborough along with Team Solent sprint international Melanie Purkiss, who missed the county championships with a pulled quad muscle.

In Purkiss's absence, Solent high hurdler Katy Sketchley dominated the women's sprints and hurdles.

She proved unbeatable over 100 and 200m, but, more significantly, her championship best 100m hurdles time of 13.82 was just 0.02 of a second outside the Scottish qualification mark for the Commonwealth Games.

Unusually Sketchley was followed home in all three events by the same athlete - her triple silver medal-winning clubmate, Emma Duck.

Hard work paid off for Team Solent's Darren Wall, who celebrated a senior men's 100/200m double.

Clubmate Pete Brend, a 400m AAA finalist last summer, won his 200m heat in 21.92, but then pulled out with a hamstring niggle.

FOR FULL LIST OF RESULTS FOR THE HAMPSHIRE AA TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS SEE PAGE 47 OF THE DAILY ECHO ON MAY 16.