Southend Athletics Club's track and field season got underway at Garon's Park with the juniors winning the day when they contested the Eastern Young Athletes League.

The under-13 girls showed clear signs of their excellence at both spectrums of the running events with L Nash taking the 100 and 200 metres and K Marshall putting in a tremendous finishing surge to collect the 1500m with 5mins. 30.3secs.

N Ager (13.8) and T McQuibban (14.1) both took the tape in the under-17 girls A and B string 100 metre events.

In the boys under-13s, T Hayes won the 80m hurdles (16.3secs) with L Williams securing the 100m (15 seconds dead).

In the field, P Gardiner and M Bingley both won the A and B string discus. For the under-15 boys, J Thompson dipped at the finish to win the 400m (63.2secs).

There was energy-sapping double delight for A Humphreys with wins in the 800m (2mins. 22secs) and 1500m (4mins. 46secs).

Jolly scored top points in both discus and shot. M Gardiner jumped well in B string long and high jump events to gain maximum points.

C Hayes won the A string high jump with a 1.40m clearance. J Gahagan collected the under-17 100m hurdles in 15.3secs.

J. Mason gathered in the points in the field events. He emerged victorious in shot, discus and javelin.

G Goodrem won the high jump with J Fry claiming victory in B high jump and javelin. Southend won on 344 points from Cambridge (296), Milton Keynes (222) and St Albans (185).

Twin feats - Southend AC pair Fiona Jacobs (left) and twin sister Melanie, of St Bernard's School, Westcliff, compete in the long jump in the first Eastern Young Athletes meet, at Garon's Park

Pictures: LUAN MARSHALL

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