Sandbach teenager, Isla Boardman, has won her first national athletics medal after claiming silver in the U16 Heptathlon at the England Athletics National Championships.

The 15-year-old produced a superb performance across the seven-event competition, finishing with a score of 4,487 points.

This total puts Isla, a student at Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College, a total which currently puts her top of the UK rankings for the international U16 age category in the Heptathlon by over 200 points.

The Heptathlon tests athletes across seven disciplines: 80m hurdles, long jump, javelin, 150m, high jump, shot put and 600m.

Isla's individual performances were:

80m hurdles: 12.39s

Long jump: 5.18m

Javelin: 33.71m

150m: 19.34s

High jump: 1.50m

Shot put: 9.64m

600m: 1:50.04

Her performance was particularly impressive given that she was competing against older athletes, with Isla ultimately finishing just a handful of points away from the gold medal.

Despite the narrow margin, she was beaten by a worthy winner and can be hugely proud of becoming a national medallist for the first time.

The medal caps an impressive season for the young Sandbach athlete. Earlier this year, Isla qualified for both the English Schools National Championships and the English Schools National Combined Events Championships, giving her valuable experience competing on the national stage.

Her season isn't over yet, either.

On 19th and 20th September, Isla will once again represent Cheshire Schools at the national schools combined events championships, competing in the U17 age category despite being one of the youngest athletes in the competition.

With another national-level competition ahead, expectations remain realistic, but Isla has already exceeded what could reasonably have been expected of her this season.

Her first national medal, a UK-leading Heptathlon score and another national appearance on the horizon provide plenty of encouragement for the future. The future certainly looks bright for this talented young Sandbach athlete.