Essex athletes Sarah Claxton and Julie Pratt helped England to victory in a five-team tournament at Loughborough University.

Colchester's Claxton leaped to a 6.56m in the long jump while Chelmsford's Pratt ran a 13.28 seconds in the 100m hurdles.

Their points went towards England's winning tally of 145 points ahead of second-placed Great Britain Students, and Loughborough, Scotland and Great Britain Juniors, respectively.

Colchester and Tendring athlete Claxton jumped to a personal best against a headwind beating her precious mark of 6.52m.

She will now represent Great Britain in the European under-23 Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, in July, and compete in the Europa Cup, in Paris, in June.

The 19-year-old also went in the 100m hurdles finishing a respectable fourth behind Pratt.

Claxton said: "I was really pleased to jump so far so early in the season.

"Last year I was jumping around the 6.2m mark so this is a big leap forward.

"I enjoyed the day, there was a great atmosphere. It was very blustery but I was a bit surprised to see I had jumped into a headwind."

Pratt, whose time would have been a personal best if it had not been wind-assisted by a marginal 0.2, has also qualified for both those meets.

The Essex Ladies runner is travelling to Sweden this week for an invitational meet which she will use as preparation for the European under-23 Championships.

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