Gaia signs off from English Schools as captain

City of Portsmouth's international thrower has had a glittering junior career and the honour was a fitting way to finish her schools' career.

Next she will be heading to the University of Nevada in the USA on an NCAA scholarship to continue her studies, and also her athletic career. Everyone at City of Portsmouth wishes her well.

She will be going to Reno in August on a sports scholarship for four years where she will be taking international business studies with Spanish. She will miss her club-mates, her training partner Serena Vincent,  her very first coach Phil Budd and her current coach Bronwin Carter and she is massively grateful for all their support over the years full of highs and lows.

However, she is really looking forward to her new adventure and hopefully will be coming back each summer stronger and fitter ready to represent her club and hopefully England again if not team GB in the foreseeable future.

She is ranked second under-20 in the UK for shot and 11th overall and seventh in Javelin in the UK as an under-20 with the small margin of 1m between her and third.

Osborne has been highly successful throughout the age groups during her career and that will hopefully continue for her in the coming years.

Perhaps, the unluckiest athlete of the English School's Championships was Fareham's Maisie Grice.

Leading into the final straight in the intermediate girls' steeplechase she hit the last barrier, tumbled to the floor, then with true grit got up and still managed a third place to earn a bronze medal, a remarkable performance.

For City of Portsmouth it has been another superb track & field season with the club in excellent form in the leagues as well as always making their mark in the major championships.

The club's event the Lakeside 5k Series returns tomorrow night at Lakeside North Harbour.

It's a fast, flat course and is always a hard-fought series.