Norfolk's Chris Baker soared to new heights when competing at the newly opened Lee Valley Athletic Centre in North London.

Norfolk's Chris Baker soared to new heights when competing at the newly opened Lee Valley Athletic Centre in North London.

Contesting the under-17 boys high jump in the Southern Counties Indoor Track & Field Championships, the City of Norwich athlete cleared an impressive 1.98m - a new personal best - to take the gold medal. Breaking that two-metre barrier in the near future is surely within his grasp.

Another gold medal performance came from Rachel Stringer, who scored a comfortable win in the under- 20 ladies 800m in a time of 2min 15.8secs.

Juliette Knights picked up her first regional medal when finishing third in the under-15 girls 800m. Her time of 2min 25.5secs was a new personal best.

Rick Ward cruised through his heat in the under-20 men's 800m. Coming up against Cambridge & Coleridge AC athlete Ed Aston in the final was a tough call but Ward pushed him all the way before having to settle for the runners-up spot - being timed at 1min 54.8 against Aston's 1min 54.4.

Harriet Lucas had a busy weekend. Doubling up in the sprints, Saturday saw her challenge for medals in the under-17 girls 60m sprint, in which she created a new personal indoor best and Norfolk record of 7.9secs. Sadly she had to settle for fourth place.

On Sunday she participated in her favoured event, the 200m. Again she had to settle for fourth place, but she had the satisfaction of creating a new personal best of 25.80secs. She will now target the 200m in next month's AAA's Indoor Championship.

Veteran Guy Amos displayed good from in the senior men's 3000m, finishing sixth in 8min 44.3sec.

Further afield, in Cardiff, three young athletes made their mark at the UK Cross Challenge.

Claire Pring put in a battling performance to finish fifth in the under-15 girls as did James Jackson- Nichols in the equivalent boys race in which he finished seventh.

Craig Hopkins, still to find his best form over the country, finished 14th in the under-20 men's race.

This weekend Norfolk athletes will not have far to travel for the Southern Counties Cross Country Championships, which are being staged in Holkham Park. The first event, the under-15 boys, starts at 11am.