Up and coming Basildon athlete Aaron Cramp is facing a searching examination of his abilities this week - and not just on the athletics field.

The 16-year-old javelin thrower has been widely tipped to land gold for the third successive year at the prestigious Essex Schools Track and Field championships on Saturday.

But his preparations have been hampered by the prospect of an examination of a different kind.

This week and next he is in the middle of his GCSEs and his training programme for the athletics event has suffered as a result.

Aaron, a pupil at Basildon's Woodlands School, explained: " "I haven't really had the time to go out training because I'm studying, but I'm coping and I'm hoping to do well."

Aaron, who cherishes an ambition to become a commercial pilot, added that he is not worried too much because he has a history of defying the odds in local championships.

Only last month he bounced back from swollen glands to land the gold medal at the Essex Championships at Chelmsford.

Saturday's competition, which sees the cream of the Essex schools athletic talent competing at Basildon's Gloucester Park, follows hot on the heels of the South of England championships in Watford - an event at which Aaron also shone.

Aaron, one of several members of Basildon AC to make the trip to the event, turned in a career best peformance to grab the under-17 javelin silver medal against the best athletes from around the southern region.

He was only denied gold by a massive effort by the defending champion on the final throw of the competition, but was not too downhearted because he had set a new personal best of 52.97 metres.

The 16-year-old's display at the South of England championships was topped by another exciting Basildon AC prospect, Matthew Colton, 17, who raced to the gold medal in the under-20 110m hurdles.

Matthew was joined on the gold medal podium by Kim Wall, who won the 200m at under-20s level, and there were other notable performances by 800m runner Ellie Childs (silver) and Lara Carty (silver, under-17 80m hurdles).

Bronze medals went to Katie Flaherty (under-15 200m), David Rogers (under-15 800m), and Melissa Wall (under-15 800m).

There were also excellent displays from Basildon's Robert Smith (6th, under-20s 1500m), James Tydeman (5th, under-17 1500m), Kim Matthews (4th, under-17 200m), Stacey Ward, (6th under-17 1500m), Gemma Tune (6th, under-17 300m flat hurdles) and Samma Power (4th, under-17 shot putt).

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