It wasn't just the handsome haul of 16 medals and four internationals that delighted Hampshire Schools' AA chairman Eileen Yates on her return from the English Schools' Track & Field Championships in Exeter.

Even more important in her book was the fact that of the 57 athletes who completed their events, a whopping 46 of them scored at least one point either through a top-eight finish or by achieving a national or entry standard.

"It was an excellent all-round performance," smiled Yates. "This year the boys were stronger than the girls and both the junior and intermediate boys finished runners-up while the seniors were third.

"Overall we came fifth on aggregate, which is about the same as we normally do, but to have so many athletes contributing points was marvellous."

Isle of Wight hammer thrower Paul Farley had more reason than most to feel proud of himself. His golden throw of 59.50 in the intermediate boys' hammer was a personal best for the 16-year-old Sandown High School pupil and puts him top of the national age-group rankings.

It also secures him a trip to Dublin on Saturday week (July 21) to represent England in the home counties international along with Hampshire's three intermediate silver medallists - Nd Monye of Lord Wandworth (shot), Simon Cooke of Portsmouth Grammar (discus) and Callum McKay of Yateley (400m hurdles).

Ray Scovell, who coaches Farley on the Island, said: "It's fantastic to win any sort of medal at English Schools, let alone gold. The lad was so excited. I stood next to him on the medal podium and he just kept saying 'thank you'!"

As expected, Lord Wandsworth's Christina Carding successfully defended her junior girls' discus title with a 35.77 throw, while senior girls' triple jumper Katharine Streatfield (Peter Symonds College) and senior boys' 400m machine Robert Tobin (Alton College) successfully completed their golden quests.

After a "jelly legged" opener of 11.22m - one of her shortest of the season - Streatfield came good in the fifth round to clinch the title with 12.05.

Although she failed in her mission to beat the 12.28 ES record, it was plenty good enough to eclipse the one-time leader Julia Straker of Northumberland, who took silver with 11.77.

Windy conditions on Saturday kept Tobin's time in check, but with European Junior selection already safely in the bag, the AAA Under-20 champion from Old Basing was just chuffed to win in 48.05.

"I relaxed for the first 200m and picked it up with 150 to go," he said. "I wasn't bothered about the clock."

For good measure, 17-year-old Tobin was also part of Hampshire's third-placed 4x100m quartet, taking his weighty ES medal collection to two gold, two silver and two bronze - with another year still to go!