THE Combined Events Squad at Taunton Athletics Club was first established back in September 2016 with four members.

Just over a year later it has grown considerably and now boasts 16 members, who have all enjoyed considerable success in both their combined and individual events.

The group meets three times a week, twice at Castle School - headquarters of Taunton Athletics Club - and once at King’s College.

The two coaches involved with the formation of the Combined Events squad were Adam Carrow and Steve Shaw, and both are still heavily involved and planning to develop the group further by adding at least one more training session.

The results achieved by the young athletes in the group are quite remarkable, and in April 2017 five of the squad qualified for the South West Schools’ Combined Event Championships events.

In May, seven qualified and took part in the Somerset Schools’ Championship, and in June the squad won 14 medals between them at the Somerset County Championships.

Also in June, six of the group won medals at the South West Schools’ Individual Championships.

Since then the group has continued to grow and now comprises of athletes from The Castle, Wellington School, Robert Blake Science College, Millfield Prep, Bishop Foxes, Heathfield, Kingsmead, Taunton School and King’s College.

Over the last few months the Combined Events squad has won 22 medals at the South West Indoors Championships that have been held at Cardiff Met University.

Three of the squad will now be going to compete in the National Indoor Championships that are taking place at the England Institute of Sport, Sheffield.

Shaw said: “Since we started the group it has just snowballed.

“Everyone who is involved works so hard and is so enthusiastic.”