BOURNEMOUTH School are celebrating after their junior boys’ team defied the odds to win a medal at the English Schools Championships in Stockport.

The quartet of Oscar Esposti, Noah Vides, Dan Speers and Barney Fry were ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the 4x50m medley and freestyle relays, based on their qualifying times.

But in the medley they went one better, touching third in both the heats and the final to claim a bronze medal in a long-course time of 2:07.76.

The boys train with three different clubs.

Their clubs and split times were: Esposti (Swim Bournemouth) backstroke 33.99, Vides (Swim Bournemouth) breaststroke 32.41, Speers (Poole) butterfly 29.73, Fry (Bournemouth SC) freestyle 31.63.

Twynham School’s quartet of Peter Roles, Ryan McCormack, Ben Wickens and James Seddon also challenged for a medal in the same event, coming fourth in the heats and fifth in the final in 2:11.80.

Both teams qualified for the finals from an original start list of 156 schools.

In the junior boys’ freestyle, Bournemouth School again reached the final, finishing eighth in 1:56.22.

Twynham were 11th in the heats in 1:57.72.

Talbot Heath’s intermediate girls’ team of Grace Howie (back), Lottie McRae (breast), Courtney Rowan (fly) and Shelby Haysom (free) dramatically improved on their qualifying ranking of 16th to reach their medley relay final.

They then finished eighth in 2:15.34.

Parkstone Grammar School came within 0.6sec of a place in the junior girls’ freestyle final as they placed 10th in the heats in 2:01.45.

In the intermediate boys’ medley final, Thomas Hardye School came seventh in 2:01.25.

The Dorchester school’s senior girls came 15th in their medley relay.

Three Seagulls water polo players are on course for international selection after surviving another stage of trials for the England Talent Squad.

Cianan Mann and Charlie Roberts, both 14, and 15-year-old Jackson Mullins came through a second exhaustive set of tests and drills in Cardiff to earn their places in the main squad. Rob Webber, the Christchurch club’s water polo coach, said: “The second round draft is an important hurdle as it places the boys in a good position for future international selection.

“They will now attend a series of weekend camps around the country where they will train with their peers and players from the older squads.”