A HOST of Basildon Athletics Club members shone as they represented Essex in the Inter-County Championships.

With the track and field season coming to a close, the New Towners were looking to round off a fine campaign by impressing at county level.

Grace Burrell and 15-year-old Jamie Rushbrook came in sixth place in the under-20s middle distance category, while Isaac Brown also claimed a place in the top 10.

Abigail Ives and Toby Linsell - competing in the under-15 category - won silver in the 1500m and 800m respectively.

And Basildon chairman Steve Reynolds was pleased to see so many athletes shine in Oxford.

Reynolds said: “It is obviously a great honour to have your abilities recognised and get the call-up to represent your county.

“I am very proud that we were able to offer such a talented group to compete and it is particularly pleasing to see our youngsters take on the challenge to compete at higher age group standards.

“Not only does it show how well they are performing but it also provides a great experience which will help them in the future.

“Grace and Jamie have both been prepared to raise the bar in the competitions this year, taking on the next level of athletes.

“Jamie, in particular, really punched above his weight in the under-20s.

“Crazily, he will still be eligible for this age group event in four years’ time, which just shows how advanced a runner he is.”

There was no time for the younger members to rest on their laurels as they competed in the EYAL Winners Final, which was held in Ipswich, 24 hours later.

The New Towners were the only Essex team to qualify for the final, which was played out among the top six clubs in the Eastern region.

Ives came first in the 800m, while Linsell managed to grab another silver medal.

Burrell clinched gold, while Rushbrook was the runner-up in his race.

Despite leading at certain stages, Basildon were able to seal a creditable third place.

And boys’ team manager Aaron York was full of praise for the competitors.

York said: “Considering we started the match in sixth position, to finish third was a great achievement and concludes one of the best seasons we have had in recent years.

“Basildon moved up and down between third and first place with only nine points separating the teams.

“Looking at our up-and-coming youngsters, I’m sure that we will be even stronger next year.”

The under-13 boys were victorious, while a number of under-13 girls, under-15 girls and under-17 members bagged first place finishes.

Basildon’s success at the EYAL Winners Final follows the league victory and promotion for the seniors.