Middle-distance runner Molly Canham exceeded all her expectations when she competed at the English Schools Athletic Championships Finals, which took place at Gateshead at the weekend.

On Friday, Molly, 13, from Teignmouth, won her junior girls' 800m heat (one of three), beating her nearest rival by three seconds, to book a place in the final.

In Saturday's final, the Year 8 Torquay Girls' Grammar School student posted a personal best of 2.11.36 to finish runner-up and take the silver medal.

According to the ESAA, more than 1,700 athletes are entered in the National Championships each year, with up to three times that number disappointed not to have been selected despite achieving the requisite tough entry standard.

To secure a coveted place in the championship finals, Molly won each of her four qualifying rounds and attained not only the entry standard time, but also the ESAA national standard time of 2.15.

'Molly had set her sights on securing a place in the final, which would have placed her in the top eight junior girls in the country, so she was both thrilled and a little shocked to secure the silver medal,' said her delighted mum, Catherine.

Molly was pipped to gold by Tilly Simpson, a talented Year 9 Derby Schools' athlete whose performance beat not only the championship best performance but also the U15 girls' all-time record.

Molly was part of the Devon junior girls' team which performed particularly well at the championships, with many girls reaching finals. There were bronze medals for Trixie Nicholson in javelin and Charley Davey-James in the shot.

Devon's points total of 31 took them to the top of the group B table (defined by county school age population) and they will be presented with the Forrester Trophy at the ESAA Combined Events Championships in Bedford in September.