HAMPSHIRE enjoyed some impressive results in the UK Sportshall Finals in Manchester.

They won the under-13 girls team prize, while Southampton AC’s Ellie Hodgson was the under-15 winner competing as an individual.

Hampshire’s under-15 boys team were third overall.

Hodgson was joint first in the 2 lap race, second in the shot putt and sixth in the vertical jump to take the title by two points. There were also five Southampton AC athletes in the county’s under-13 girls team that took the team title.

Hannah Childs was joint sixth in the 2 lap race and joint fourth in the speed bounce.

Abigail Voller was fifth in the 2 lap race, Jade Clements was 17th in the 4 lap race and 15th in the shot putt, while Freya Coe was 16th in the vertical jump and Jasmyn Allen was 18th in the speed bounce. The Hampshire U15 boys team included three Southampton AC young athletes in Owen Lawrence, Ben Upfold and Reiss Jarvis. Owen was equal sixth in the 2 lap race, 13th in the shot and seventh in the standing loing jump, Ben was joint 15th in the 2 lap race, 18th in the shot and 15th in the standing triple jump and Reiss was second in the 4 lap race, joint sixth in the speed bounce and 22nd in the standing triple jump. Hampshire Sportshall official Ewan Simmonds is hoping that UK Athletics start to back the Sportshall format, whose sponsorship with Aviva ended in 2013.

“There has been no encouragement yet from UK Athletics in the competitive atmosphere that followed this country’s successful holding of the 2012 London Olympics,” he stated. “There was no funding whatsoever for the event this year. “Manchester ‘donated’ the stadium for the final, and everyone who attended paid their own way.

“I am a little upset at the policy of UK Athletics and its fellow sports sponsors not to fund below the age of 15 those people who are the future of UK athletics.

“They were able to find £43m to support the Sochi Winter Olympics.

“Sportshall, which starts again in the autumn, is as a possible way of reducing the likelihood of obesity in our young children in years to come.”

Winchester AC coach Simmonds added: “I have written to my local MP (Steve Brine) about this and I’m waiting on a reply from UK Athletics.”