Long jumper Simi Fajemisin was overjoyed after striking gold for Oxfordshire in the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

The 15-year-old, from Headington School, took victory with a leap of 5.91m, finishing just ahead of Bedfordshire’s Eavion Richardson with 5.85, in her first year in the intermediate girls’ age group.

It saw her step up one place on her effort of 12 months ago when she won junior silver at Gateshead.

“I was really happy,” said Fajemisin. “I just wanted to do at least as well as last year.”

She took the lead with an opening leap of 5.70, but was then overtaken by Richardson in round three, before going ahead again with her gold-medal winning jump in the fifth round.

“It was really close,” added Fajemisin. “Most of my jumps were not really on the board, but they were all OK jumps apart from my biggest jump.

“It was seven centimetres from my personal best, which I did a few weeks ago. It was my second longest jump of the year, so it was quite good.

“I really wanted to do a pb, but I was quite pleased to get close to my pb.

“I would like to jump six metres, but I wanted to make sure my jumps were around 5.90.”

Now Fajemisin will represent England in the SIAB International in Dublin next Saturday.

“I am really excited because I have only really competed for my county,” she said.

Fajemisin was one of six medallists for Oxon, but there were also a number of fine performances.

Alice Hopkins, of Lord Williams’s, Thame, finished fifth in the junior girls’ 75m hurdles in 11.74secs.

Javelin thrower Redford Curtis, from Cokethorpe, Witney, a bronze medallist two years ago, was fifth in the intermediate boys’ event with 55.47. And Robbie Crowther, of John Mason, Abingdon, Oxon’s only junior boys’ competitor, also shone in the javelin, taking sixth with 47.53.