ULTIMATELY, John Howorth saved his best until last as he ended his season with a superb bronze medal in the 1500m steeplechase in the Sainsbury’s UK School Games at Loughborough University.

For the 16-year-old runner from Hilperton, near Trowbridge, the coveted bronze represented his first individual success on the national stage and helped finally wipe away the disappointment of that agonising fourth place in the final of the English Schools’ Championships in July.

“I have won a few national cross country relay team medals with Team Bath but this is my first ever individual one either on the track or cross country so I am really pleased,” said Howorth, who was representing Team South West.

“After the disappointment of the English Schools’ Championships it was great to come away from Loughborough with a medal and it feels so good to finish my season on a high and achieve one of the goals I set myself at the start of the summer.”

Howorth was so close to making that medal a silver as he was second coming off the final barrier down the home straight having run a good tactical race.

“I just got caught on the line but I will still take the bronze and I can’t be unhappy with that,” added Howorth.

Interestingly his time of 4mins 31.02secs was his second fastest at the discipline just a fraction behind his PB of 4:29.02 – the seventh fastest in the country this year in the U17s age group - when finishing fourth at the English Schools’ and having made a crucial change in how he runs the event that has given Howorth enormous encouragement for 2017.

“In previous steeplechase races I have hurdled the barriers but always found it difficult not to land to the side and lose ground,” explained Howorth.

“At Loughborough I tried a new approach and put my foot on every barrier. That meant I used up less energy so felt stronger towards the end of the race.

“It is definitely something to work upon for next season.”

Also in action at Loughborough was Marshfield-based runner Themis Bower and he finished seventh (2:02.64) in the men’s 800m.

Corsham School student Jade Littlechild also ended her fine season on a high as the 15-year-old clocked her eighth personal best of the summer.

Competing in the final British Milers’ Club regional meeting at the Exeter Arena last week Littlechild recorded a time of 2mins 20.87secs to finish fifth in the 800m A race.

It was Littlechild’s first 800m of the summer having concentrated on the 1500m and the 3000m and she carved virtually seven seconds off her 2015 best of 2:27.71.

The decision to focus upon the 1500m certainly paid off as Littlechild improved her PB no less than five times at the distance.

Carrying over a best of 4:57.56 from 2015 she eventually brought her time to 4:46.32, smashing through that 4mins 50secs for the first time in July.

At the same time she also made her debut over 3000m and subsequently improved that time twice to end the season with 10:38.90.

As an objective measure of a fine season Littlechild the South West Rankings for U17 women show her lying eighth, seventh and fourth at 800m, 1500m and 3000m respectively.