Steyning duo Sophie Hales and Nick Ball have won titles at the All England Schools' Race Walking Championships at Hull.

Sophie completed a hat-trick by lifting the under-17s' crown. She was victorious in her first year at under-17s 12 months ago and in 1999 set an under-15s' record of 15min.15.06sec.

Her elder sister Amy twice won the under-17s' title.

Sophie clocked a personal best 14min. 20.7sec to finish just over one second clear of Katie Stones (Hull). Her time put her seventh on the Sussex all-time list but was ten seconds slower than Amy when she won on Humberside in 1998.

She will aim to emulate Amy's record four titles when she competes at under-19s next year.

Sophie said: "I knew the race was going to be tough. Katie clocked a faster time than me two months ago but I was determined to hold on to my title. I had to keep the pace going.

"I know I am not quite as fast as my sister over this distance at this age but I am determined to go faster next year. I have only ever raced against Amy once, earlier this year, but she was not really fit and I was able to beat her.

"I am determined to win as many Schools' titles as Amy and my brother Matthew. They both won four titles and I have now got three and, as I still have two more years, I might do even better."

Ball claimed the boys under-15s' title on his championship debut.

He dominated from the start, only club-mate Peter Warren could stay with him, but the effort was short-lived.

Ball finished more than a half-a-lap clear of Warren in 15min.40.80sec. Warren was a similar distance ahead of the Kent bronze medallist Richard Harris in 17min.13.23sec.

The race walks were held in conjunction with the All England Schools' Combined Events Championship finals.

Angmering pupil Emma Perkins, 16, second in the under-15s' pentathlon last year, was fourth in the under-17s' heptathlon, missing the bronze medal by 60 points.

Lying tenth after the 80m hurdles, Emma fought back to second in the high jump, soaring to a personal best 1.78m.

After the hurdles, high jump, shot putt and 200m, Emma was third.

She slipped to fourth following a long jump of 5.24m to score 4,360 points in total, just over 100 down on the total she amassed when second in the South East final in June.

Her efforts earned her an invitation to represent England in the Schools Indoor Home International in Glasgow next year.

In the junior girls' pentathlon, Sarah Fielding-Smith (Dowlands) was ninth with 2,672 points, while Meghan Waldron (Warden Park), a last-minute reserve, was 28th with 2,334.

James Taylor from Tanbridge House, who had qualified in the under-15s' pentathlon, missed the trip.