BASILDON AC’s young hammer thrower Levi Causton produced the throw of his life so far to win his first national medal.

The Castle View pupil, from Canvey, launched the hammer 54.19m to just edge out his local rival Billy Praim-Singh, of Southend AC, to win the bronze medal at the England Under-15 and Under-17 Championships.

The distance was nearly six metres further than Causton had ever thrown in his life, while Praim-Singh’s 54.08m was his second best throw of all time but not quite good enough to get a medal.

Causton’s Basildon AC team-mate Michael Shields also came home from the championships in Bedford with a medal.

Shields negotiated his way through the heats and semi-finals to make the final of the under-15 boys 80m hurdles where he ran 11.20s to win a bronze medal.

Thurrock Harriers’ James Pearson was not far behind, finishing sixth in a PB of 11.41s.

It was a case of so near yet so far for Basildon AC’s English Schools shot-putt champion Archie Leeming who finished just outside the medals in fourth place.

Leeming’s putt of 14.78m was just five centremetres off the bronze medal position.

Another young Basildon AC thrower was just outside the medals as Gabrielle Quigley finished fifth in the under-15 girls discus with 32.36m.

Elsewhere, Southend High School for Girls’ Michelle Hughes made the final of the under-17 women’s 80m hurdles and finished in seventh place in 12.10s, while Canvey’s Jodie Judd was 10th in the under-15 girls 1,500m in 4m 53.27s.

Basildon AC’s Max Jones finished twelve in his under-15 boys 1,500m race in 4m 33.85s.