WILL Stokes was part of the triumphant Somerset team which competed at the English Schools National Combined Events Championships (octathlon) over the weekend.

Four athletes from each county are part of the team event with the three highest scores being carried forward to the team score.

Competing at Exeter Arena, Chilton Trinity student Stokes had finished his final GCSE exam just a week before.

Athletes from Avon, The Channel Islands, Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire as well as Somerset were all represented.

Saturday saw the hottest day of the year and Stokes’ least favourite event, the long jump, was up first.

He jumped into ninth position but followed up with a personal best in discus and a solid javelin performance.

Stokes secured a performance in the 400m to leave him fifth as an individual at the end of the day.

Day two (Sunday) was overcast and Stokes started with a win in his pool in the 110m hurdles, then was just short of a PB with 177cm in the high jump.

The shot put saw Stokes achieve a personal best with over 10m, leaving the 1500m race to end the championships.

Despite Devon winning the race, Somerset and Stokes went through to the English Schools National Combined Events Championships.