If at first you don't succeed then do what Cameron Walker-Shepherd did – just keep on trying and trying and eventually you will get your just rewards.

Four years after launching his English Schools' career, the 17-year-old Avon athlete finally made the gold standard with a popular victory in the senior boys' pole vault at the English Schools' Track & Field Championships at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium, edging out his rivals on countback as the top three all finished on 4.70m.

It was one of two Avon golds, with sprinter Emily Diamond getting the other in the senior girls' 200m in her third and final appearance in the event, but it is Walker-Shepherd's success that should encourage young athletes all over the county.

"I have been trying to win this title for five years and I am so chuffed to finally do it, it's brilliant," said Walker-Shepherd, who flies out with the British team next weekend for the European Youth Olympics in Finland.

Walker-Shepherd made his debut in 2005, finishing seventh at Birmingham. He followed that with eighth place in 2006, no-heighted in 2007 and was runner-up last year.

"It is easily the highlight of my career," added Walker-Shepherd, a student at St Brendans. "It certainly has not been an overnight success!"

For Diamond, success has come a little quicker. The 18-year-old Bristol Grammar School student only made her debut in 2007 and won the first of two successive silver medals.

But it was the gold Diamond wanted to sign off with and she made no mistake this time with a superb display of sprinting to clinch the title in a personal best time of 23.85secs.

"It is an amazing feeling to win a title at last and I don't think it has sunk in yet," said Diamond. "It was also nice to get a personal best in what will be my last competition before the European Junior Championships."

The city's talented pool of pole vaulters – who admittedly have thrived using Bath's excellent indoor facilities – enjoyed another medal moment when 16-year-old Luke Bailey finished third in the inter boys' event, equalling his personal best of 4.20m.

"This is my first appearance at the English Schools' and I'm so pleased with that," said Bailey, a student at Colston's School.

Avon's fourth medal came courtesy of Adam McBraida's broad chest as he lunged for the line in the inter boys' 100m hurdles.

The second, third and fourth runners were all awarded the same time of 13.50secs but the photo-finish gave McBraida the bronze medal spot – and in a personal best.

"I'm delighted," said the Yate & District athlete, who is a student at Kingswood School, in Bath.

Fourth is usually the worst position in which to finish, but Floren Scrafton can take great pride in competing in arguably the best track race of the championships – the 1,500m.

Hampshire's Georgia Peel shattered the championship record with a stunning time of 4mins 16.24secs and, while Scrafton agonisingly had the bronze medal snatched from her grasp in the home straight, she clung on for her first sub 4mins 30secs time in 4:29.03.

There were very respectable top six places for Eleanor Wimshurst (senior 3000m), Hannah Alderson (senior 1500m), Ruth Dean (senior 100m), Aoife Thorogood (inter 3000m) and James Preston (senior shot) – although he was very unhappy with five no throws – while Geovaughen Burey (junior 200m) and Lily Owsley (junior 800m) ran personal bests to make their respective finals