England Athletics Age Group Combined Events Champs and U20 Home Countries International: preview

After last month’s England Championships in various age groups, it is next the turn of the under 17 and under 15 combined eventers as they compete for national titles at the Thames Valley Athletic Centre near Windsor. Meanwhile, held with this event on the Saturday will be an under 20 international featuring England A and B teams taking on those representing Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as guest athletes.

Under 17 women’s heptathlon

Molly Mills (coach: Jessica Taylor-Jemmett; club: Sale Harriers Manchester) leads the rankings with 4814 points with which saw her take the English Schools' North West title. She will be looking to add to her gold as an under 15 in the England Championships hexathlon last summer and bronze in the pentathlon indoors last winter.

Also in the line-up is Wales’ Matilda Quick, who beat her to win at those indoor championships and is second on the rankings with 4719. Scotland’s Victoria Anestik, the winner of the under 15 event two years ago, and Thaila-Jade Mason (Dennis Johnson; Bedford & County), fifth in the indoors, are other contenders.

Under 17 men’s decathlon

The silver and bronze medallists last year were in the first year in the age group so naturally will be challengers as they line up here: Luke Pichler (Rob Wilson Blyth), who was second last year and winner Ruben Stovell (John Lane; Hallamshire), the England indoor pentathlon champion. Samuel Newton (Tonbridge) lines up heading both of those in the octathlon rankings with 5198 points.

Arthur Reilly (Trevor Fox; Sheffield & Dearne) won England indoor pentathlon silver in March and is looking to improve on his seventh last year. Another who could feature is Scotland’s Luc Macleod, who is second on the decathlon list for the year with 5882.

Oliver Downs (Alex Pope; Invicta East Kent), the England under 15 octathlon champion last year, steps up an age group.

Under 15 boys’ octathlon

Caleb Green (Marie Burnett; Cheltenham) will be hoping to build on this gold at the English Schools' South West. He lies second on the UK under 15 pentathlon list with 2843. Green was fourth in the England pentathlon indoors last winter, one place ahead of Tristan Lamprecht (Alexander Wort; Macclesfield), who is also entered here.

Max Merriman (Guildford & Godalming) hopes to improve on his sixth last year. As the England Athletics and English Schools' champion in the pole vault, he will be looking to score a big advantage over his rivals in that event. Oakley Hogan (Matthew Holloway; Swindon) was 10th last year and will be seeking an advance on that.

Under 15 girls’ hexathlon

After winning the English Schools' South East pentathlon title to go 12th on the UK under 15 all-time list with 3442, Jasmine Nkoso (Anthony Mayhew; Herne Hill) will start as one of the favourites here for the hexathlon (which includes the addition of javelin). The winner of the England indoor pentathlon title last winter will be joined by the other two medallists from those championships: runner-up Seni Purnell (Andrew Fisher; Winchester) and Talia Northcott (Craig Pounder; City of York).

Also entered is Carys Francis (City of York), who is second on the pentathlon rankings for the year with 3360. Wales’ Tiana Odugbesan is a contender to improve on her sixth from last year's hexathlon. One place behind her then was Scotland’s Leanna Elliot, who is third on pentathlon rankings with 3354.

Under 20 International

Some of England’s leading junior athletes will be up against the best from Wales and Northern Ireland, together with guesting athletes.

The 400m features Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medallist Alexander Beck (Winchester), who won silver at the England Championships and here competes for England B - against Youth Games teammate and England A’s Stanley Chevous (Lee Bowker, Ipswich). Alexander Sproston (Kyle Bennett; Crawley) and Henry Yelling (John Clements; Brighton & Hove), the top two from the England Championships, go head-to-head again in the 2000m steeplechase.

Wales’ Owen Garratt, UK number one in the discus, who competed for Britain at the European U18 Championships, is entered as a guest. Meanwhile, the triple jump has England champion and UK under 20 numer one Brandon Lee (Joe McColgan; Mansfield).

On the women’s side, England’s Alice Bennett (Shane Smith; Kettering) and Eleanor Strevens (Christopher Voice; Eastbourne) will resume their rivalry from the England Athletics Championships last month when they finished first and second respectively. It was there that Bennett set her PB of 2:06.94, which leaves her fifth on the UK age-group rankings, one place below Strevens with her 2:05.93.

Similarly, the 400m hurdles has the top two from those championships in Arabella Wilson (Andrew Fisher; Winchester) and Commonwealth Youth Games champion, Stephanie Okoro (Tony Benton; Havering), who are also top two in their age group in the UK this year.

Commonwealth Youth champion Ayesha Jones (Janina Pownall; Marshall Milton Keynes) will compete as a guest in the javelin, hoping to add to her England Athletics and English Schools' wins this summer. T38 athlete Rosie Porter (Herts Phoenix), who was fourth in the long jump and the 100m at the Commonwealth Youth Games last year, will line up in the long jump and 400m. Another recent England champion in action will be Nubia Evans-Shields (Mark Chapman; City of Plymouth) in the discus.

Photo of Molly Mills at 2023 champs by Paul Halford

Event information

• U20 Home Countries International web page
• Timetable
• Start lists
• Saturday live streaming
• Sunday live streaming

Refreshments: a café will be open onsite.

Parking: will be available onsite. £5 on day, £4 in advance. Book parking online.
Blue badge spaces are limited so book in advance and early. Accessible parking request.