HIGH-CLIMBING Ashley Swain marked his AAA senior debut by scooping pole vault bronze with a stunning personal best clearance.

There were no signs of big stage nerves as 20-year-old Swain, the youngest competitor in the field, impressively scaled 5.20 at the first time of asking to claim third.

The Team Solent youngster from Rownhams revealed afterwards that he had only made his mind up to compete at 9am on Saturday morning after a fortnight plagued by back trouble.

Emma Davies's hopes of making next month's World Student Games in Beijing are hanging by thread.

The 1998 Commonwealth Games 800 metres semi-finalist from Andover inexplicably dropped out of Friday's AAAs heats with less than 100m to go having made all the early running.

Team Solent's Lorraine Phillips was fifth in her 800m heat in 2.09.62 and clubmate James Parker bowed out early in the men's event, placing sixth in 1.53.15. Alas for Team Solent high jumper Dan Turner, his AAAs ended even more abruptly as the 22-year-old Southampton University student snapped his Achilles tendon in the warm-up.

Southampton 400m hurdler Robert Lewis (Bedford & County) made his first ever AAA final with a 52.58 heat run, but faded for eighth in the final in 54.26.

Southampton's Debbie Callaway, with a throw of 44.20, was pipped for bronze in the women's discus by Aldershot clubmate Vicki Foster.

Isle of Wight heptathlete Kelly Sotherton (Birchfield Harriers) was third in the long jump with 5.99.

Team Solent's Christian Nicholson, just back from studying in the USA, led at the bell in the men's 5000m, but was crowded out for fifth place in 13.54.50. Southampton's Andy Morgan-Lee was 14th in 14.30.10.