ABBIE Chaundy claimed a superb hat-trick of gold medals at the South West Inter Counties Championships staged at the Exeter Arena, writes Kevin Fahey.

The 17-year-old Swindon Harrier was the club’s outstanding performer at the event as she sprinted to victory in the under 20 women’s 100m and then leapt to victory in the long and triple jumps.

“Abbie has been training much better this year and has had excellent season,” said coach Tony Jackson.

“She has smashed all the Harriers’ club records and her performances this year have been astounding.”

Chaundy, who lives in Fairford, won the 100m in 12.59secs, the long jump with 5.51m, which was only seven centimetres outside her PB set last month, and the triple jump with 10.64m.

“During the season so far Abbie has improved all her times and distances from last year,” added Jackson.

“She was selected to represent Gloucestershire in the triple jump at the English Schools Championships where she got to the final (and) finished a creditable fourth.”

Chaundy is also top of the South West Rankings for the triple jump and is currently second in the 100m and third in the long jump.

Chaundy wasn’t the only Harrier to impress at Exeter, with golds also going to Morgan Gascoigne, Ciaran Cooper, Aaron Bishop and Will Crisp.

Gascoigne certainly had a good competition as the 20-year-old, who is also coached by Jackson, came away with the senior long and triple jump title, clearing 5.26m and 11.37m respectively. While the latter was wind-assisted, it was a season’s best and her first jump over 11 metres of the summer.

Cooper had the edge in the under 20 mens’ 800m while English Schools’ bronze medallist Crisp, who is top of the South West Rankings, was the class act in the under 15 boys’ 800m.

Bishop smashed his personal best to win the under 20 mens’ triple jump with a leap of 12.99m to easily eclipse his previous best of 12.52m set when winning the Wiltshire Schools’ title in June. Sadly for Bishop, his big effort was aided by a following wind of 3.6mps, which is above the legal limit, but it was still a terrific jump.

Zoe Large was also in the medals with a silver in the senior womens’ hammer and bronze in the shot while Amy Miles also won two medals in the under 17s jumps.

In addition, Marlborough & District AC Junior Harriet Eyles was runner-up in the under 13 girls’ javelin and third in the shot, narrowly missing her bests in both disciplines.