WORCESTER teenagers aim to make a national impact after qualifying for the English Schools’ Athletics Association (ESAA) Track and Field Championships in Gateshead next month.

Runners Dan Banks and Darian Moore set the standard as 10 counties competed in the annual Mason Trophy at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire schools’ team were chosen through impressive performances at school, district and county level.

The best age category display for the two counties came from the third-placed intermediate boys’ team, including Tudor Grange Academy pupil Banks.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire were eighth overall.

For the junior boys, Moore, of Royal Grammar School Worcester, was second in the 200 metres in 23.76 seconds with an English schools’ entry standard to secure a place in the team for Gateshead.

Another solid performance saw Moore claim his second silver medal, this time in the 100m (11.74).

Bromsgrove’s Catshill Middle’s Sam Jones also ran an ESAA entry standard in the junior boys’ 200m, finishing third in 23.90.

The junior girls’ competition saw Danielle Hopkins, of The Chase School, Malvern, gain ESAA entry standards in both the high jump (second with 1.69m) and the long jump (third with 5.29m).

A number of intermediate boys won medals at the event.

On the track, Chris McLeod, from Woodrush High, Wythall, ran the 3,000m in nine minutes 16.60 seconds to finish third.

In the field events, Alex Griffiths from John Kyrle High, Ross-on-Wye, won gold in the hammer with a throw of 54.45m claiming an ESAA entry standard.

The javelin saw George Elliott from Prince Henry’s High, Evesham, take silver (50.54m) and Sam Chance from Droitwich High bronze (47.23m).

The triple jump saw Whitecross Hereford High’s Levi Hughes leap 13.50m to surpass the ESAA entry standard and claim the gold medal.

Josh Pearson, from St Augustine’s High, Redditch, took the 400m bronze in 51.42.

Harry Liversidge from Bromsgrove School gained an ESAA entry standard in the 110m hurdles, just missing out on a medal in fourth place (13.89).

Worcester’s Banks also ran an ESAA entry standard in the 100m with a time of 11.12 for fifth place.

In the intermediate girls’ competition, Olivia Jones from Heathfield School, Wolverley, won the high jump with an ESAA entry level jump of 1.65m.

Bromsgrove School’s Abi Saker took a bronze medal in the 3,000m with a time of 10.34.

Meanwhile, the 4x100m relays also produced further medals and ESAA entry standards.

The junior boys’ team of Moore, Sam Jones, Sam Roberts (Bromsgrove School) and Christian Timms (South Bromsgrove High) returned with silver in a time of 47.2.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s intermediate boys’ team of Banks, Ollie Gould (The De Montfort, Evesham), Liversidge and Pearson secured bronze in 44.8.

The junior girls’ team of Olivia Corcoran, Beth Lloyd (both Bromsgrove School), Florence Ikpeme (Prince Henry’s High) and Hopkins finished in sixth position but ran inside the ESSA standard with 51.6.