PUPILS from mid Cheshire have a chance to prove how strong athletics in the county is at this weekend’s English Schools’ Track and Field Championships.

Seven students – including three each from Grange School and Weaverham High School – have been included in Cheshire’s 35-strong squad for the two-days event at Gateshead.

“They have done brilliantly to make the team,” said selection committee member Johnny Goodall.

“More than 40 athletes had met the entry criteria, but we could only pick 35.”

The contingent is led by Sir John Deane’s College student Megan Huxley, a double county champion over 1,500m at club and school this season already.

She races over a shorter distance after competing in the 3,000m at the past two editions.

Hurdler Jacob Williamson, 14, had not tried athletics before starting at Weaverham three years ago.

Goodall said: “Boys like Jacob have had to battle that bit harder as he hasn’t had the benefit of training regularly in a club environment.”

His classmates Amy Howarth, also 14, and 16-year-old James Ayre made the grade too in the junior girls’ discus and inter boys’ 800m respectively.

The former has had a successful season too after winning gold medals at the Cheshire club and schools’ championships.

Ayre was denied first place at both by Warrington’s Jack Gleave, but did improve his personal best to 1:58.9 to scoop silver in the schools’ competition at Macclesfield earlier this month.

Grange School’s Sam Dykes runs in the senior boys’ 800m, while Katie Gerrard – another double county champion – lines up in the junior girls’ 1,500m.

She continues to improve too after lowering her lifetime quickest time this summer to place in the top 30 for her age group in the country.

James Webster, another to attend the Hartford school, is part of the inter boys’ squad as a 400m hurdler.

Click here for a timetable of what happens, and when.

SKY Sports 2 broadcasts Saturday’s action live from 2pm.