BRIDGWATER's Will Stokes had success at the last event of the athletics season at Exeter over the weekend, in the English Schools Combined Events National Championships.

Athletes from all over England who had qualified through both county and regional championships gathered in the South West for a chance to gain the England vest.

Stokes, competing in the Intermediate Boys Octathlon, started the day off well in the blazing autumn sunshine, securing a Personal Best in Long Jump, followed with a season's best in Javelin and Discus, before the final event of the day – the 400m.

With temperatures on the track soaring for a late September afternoon, Stokes knew that a good performance in this race would see him secure a position within the top 20 before the close of the first day.

A good lane draw put him into the second lane, and assisted him in securing an all-important equal PB performance, finishing the day in a competitive position for the second day, for both himself and the Somerset team.

The weather for the start of Day 2 was a complete contrast to the previous day, with heavy rain falling for the opening 100m hurdles.

Somerset started the day in first place and with the four-man team all putting in good performances, and Stokes taking a further 0.6 of a second off his PB, the team now had to focus on the High Jump.

The rain managed to subside for both the High Jump and Shot Putt, where again Will achieved a PB, and going into the final event, Somerset were marginally in front.

Stokes and the team knew that the 1500m was not their strongest discipline and were marginally beaten to the gold medal position by Hampshire.

However, a silver medal at the English Finals, together with Stokes consolidating his position within the English rankings, should be considered a successful weekend of competing.