Rhea is an all-round champion (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Rhea is an all-round champion

6:30pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport By Sports Desk

Bingley Harrier Rhea Southcott is now the United Kingdom's fastest under-13 girl at 600 metres and she is also second nationally in the shot put.

The 11-year-old won the Sheffield Indoor Track and Field Series 2012-13 at Sheffield English Institute of Sport Stadium last Sunday, and also has top-ten rankings in the majority of her other athletics disciplines.

Spanning four separate race meetings, starting last November, Rhea has beaten the very best of Sheffield and the North of England's combined track and field athletes in mixed track and field disciplines, including the 60 metres, 150m, 200m, 600m, 800m and 1,000m, plus the long jump, shot put and high jump.

Her series highlights included recording the best 600m time of all the under 13 girls and under 15 girls competing last weekend, plus twice scoring the maximum 80 points in the shot put, with Grade A performances at AAA track and field standard.

In Sunday’s 150m, 200m and 600m races, Rhea ran three personal best times times to take the Sheffield Indoor Series title.

Coming from behind right up to the last race, she needed to run below 1min 51sec at 600m to win, and did it with 1min 50.68sec, gaining 68 points in the final event.

Rhea is coached by fellow Bingley Harrier David Benson.