NORTH-EAST counties did themselves proud at the English Schools Championships in Exeter, returning with three gold, ten silver and four bronze medals.

The smallest of the three counties from the region - Cleveland - had two winners in long-jumper with Elaine Smith, and discus thrower Leslie Richards, while Durham's sole victor was 400m specialist Craig Glanville.

Smith, who won the intermediate girls gold medal three years ago and was runner up at Sheffield last summer, was the first from the region to mount the winner's rostrum after her leap of 5.87m on Friday night.

Cleveland provided another winner in Richards, who threw 45.13m - more than four metres short of his personal best but still too far for his rivals on Saturday.

Cleveland claimed a silver medal when Anthony Bibby, second in his 100m hurdles heat, was also runner-up in the final (13.49 secs), while another intermediate boy, long jumper Suote Nyananyo brought home the bronze medal with a leap of 6.75m.

Durham's star performer was Washington schoolboy Glanville, the richly talented multi-eventer who holds five North-East indoor gold medals.

The 15-year-old was second in his 400m heat (52.82 secs) before winning his semi-final (51.86) and going on to victory in the final in another personal-best 50.72 secs.

Durham's Mark Christie, the Northern under-17 champion, had been strongly fancied to win the intermediate pole-vault, but had to be satisfied with the silver medal.

Christie, who went into the competition with a best of 4.60m, was hoping to beat the record of 4.70m, could only clear 4.55m, the same as winner Chris Tremayne, of Staffordshire, who took fewer attempts.

Durham's other intermediate boys silver medallists were Chris Parr in the 3000m (8 mins 44.20), Graham Jackson in the triple jump (13.67m), while in the seniors Richard Smith ran 52.36 secs in the 400m, final but was beaten by seven hundredths of a second, and Shildon's Ian Davey claimed the 800m bronze medal (1:55.00), beaten for the silver by only half a second.

Durham's most successful girls were Kerry Elliott, who was second in the intermediate shot (11.43m) and hammer thrower Sarah Morgan, third with 42.25m.

The nearest Northumberland came to a gold medal was in the intermediate boys 200m, where David Riley, first in his heat (22.14 secs) and second in his semi-final (22.08) again produced an even faster run (21.67 secs) in the final, but was beaten by three tenths of a second.

Northumberland's girls outshone the boys, however, claiming two silver and two bronze medals.

Gemma Ferguson was runner-up in the 100m hurdles (14.07 secs), while senior girls triple jumper Julia Straker also took silver (11.77). Bronze medals were won by Charlotte Wickham in the inter 3000m (10:10.52) and Claire Brason, who was third in the senior 400m hurdles (61.60 secs)