Runner-up in the English Schools' Cross-Country Championships earlier this year, Daniel Lewis (Mill Hill County) went one better with a magnificent win in the Intermediate 1500m steeplechase in the national track championships at Sheffield on Saturday.

Representing Middlesex, Lewis, who had led all the way to take the title in the county event, repeated the tactics for a comfortable victory in 4mins 25.9secs.

Tom Bedford also ran well for Hertfordshire giving Shaftesbury a first and second in 4mins 27.85secs. Both represent England in the Schools' International at Blackpool on Saturday.

Lewis, also Middlesex schools' cross-country champion, and third for England in the in the Schools' international, has an excellent chance of taking the gold medal at Sheffield.

He's trained by Geoff Williams, whose son Richard was fourth in the senior boys' 2,000m steeplechase.

Another Shaftesbury gold medallist was England junior pole vault international Ellie Spain, representing Herts.

There were bronze medals for Nadia Williams (Barnet College), in the girls' senior long jump; Chloe Wilkinson, in the intermediate girls 3,000m, with her Harriers clubmate Jessica Nugent fourth; and Gabby Howell (Sussex) in the senior girls' 400m.

Other Shaftesbury and Barnet Schools' finalists were; Jo Ankier, fifth for Middlesex in the senior girls' 1500m, with Jade Wright (Herts) sixth; Marilyn Okoro, fifth for Herts in the intermediate girls 800m; Sam Hall, eighth for Middlesex in the junior boys' 1500m; Stacy Savage, eighth for Bedfordshire in the intermediate girls' triple jump and Stephen Marlow, eighth for Middlesex in the intermediate boys' discus.

Peter Beckett (QE Boys) fourth in the junior boys' hammer; Devlin Williams (Woodisde Park School and Barnet AC), fourth in the intermdiate boys' 100m; Fola Kuku (Shaftesbury) eighth senior boys 100m. Stephen Murphy (Shaftesbury) eighth senior boys' 1500m: Darren St Clair (Ashmole) eighth intermediate boys' 800m.