There were a lot of tired bodies as the track and field season drew to a close, but several of our local athletes managed to produce a one last big effort before hanging up their spikes, putting them in the running for the Easy Runner athlete of the month award for August.

Some even produced their best form of the season to give the judges a difficult choice. As always, the winner, who will receive a pair of training shoes from Bristol's leading specialist athletics retailer Easy Runner, will be announced in next week's Evening Post.

The contenders are:

SEAN HAZELL

The Bristol & West AC 18-year-old stepped up into the senior team to win the 3,000m steeplechase in 10mins 6.2secs at the final Midland League meeting as the club celebrated the Division One title.

Then, at the South West Inter-Counties Championships at Exeter, Hazell obliterated his best time for the 2,000m steeplechase by 33 seconds with victory in 6mins 13.72secs, a time good enough to lift the 18-year-old to 20th in the UK Under-20 rankings. He also finished fourth in the 400m hurdles (62.81secs).

LUCY BRYAN

She vindicated her position as pre-event favourite when clinching a marvellous victory in the Under-15s pole vault at the Aviva England Athletics Championships with a new championship record of 3.48m. The 14-year-old Bristol & West AC athlete, from Backwell, then won the Under-15s event at the South West Inter-Counties, and came third in the high jump with 1.48m.

ANICIA SKEATES

The 12-year-old North Somerset AC athlete, from Worle, smashed her personal best by five centimetres to win the Under-13 girls' high jump at the South West Inter-Counties.

Skeates cleared 1.52m, a mark that lifts her to second place in the UK Under-13 girls' rankings, and then registered a meeting record of 1.45m to win the Under-13 girls' high jump at the Dennett Trophy in Yeovil. Skeates also won the long jump with 4.49m.

LUKE JACOBS

The Bristol & West 14-year-old carved eight seconds off his PB to finish second in the Under-15s 3,000m with 9:25.23 at the South West Inter-Counties.

Two days later, at the British Milers' Club meeting at the same venue, he shaved over four seconds off his best for the 800m, finishing in 2:12.83.

JONATHAN CLAYTON

The 14-year-old Bristol & West AC thrower won both the Under-15 boys' discus (30.72m) and hammer, with a big PB of 35.42m to beat his previous best by over two metres, at the Dennett Trophy meeting. He was also third in the Under-17 men's hammer (32.56) at the South West Inter-Counties.

MATTHEW MATTIS

The Bristol & West 12-year-old had a busy afternoon at the South West Inter-Counties, finishing third in the Under-13 boys' 100m in a PB of 13.17secs, and third in the long jump (4.48m) and the high jump (1.39m), just one centimetre off his PB.