CAITLYN Mapps made a seamless transition to the under-17s ranks as she claimed three medals, including one gold, at the Welsh Junior Indoor Championships in Cardiff.

Competing in the higher age category for the first time, the Blackwood athlete won the women’s long jump with a new personal best.

Mapps went toe-to-toe with Cardiff Archers clubmate Grace Morgan in a thriller that went right down to the final jump.

A leap of 5.40m gave Mapps the lead but Morgan hit back, going three centimetres further in the fifth and penultimate round.

However, Mapps save her best for last, sailing out to a championship best performance of 5.65m.

This victory came following a bronze medal in the same event at the previous week’s Welsh Senior Indoor Championships.

But the long jump wasn’t the only discipline she medalled in at the junior competition.

Despite having to get used to a change of distance between the barriers, Mapps clocked a new personal best of 9.12secs to take 60m hurdles silver, as Morgan gained revenge by winning gold.

Mapps followed this up with a win in the 200m heats and semi-finals before securing another silver behind former Newport Harrier Macey Morris.

Cwmbran Harriers’ India Jenkins did enough to win bronze with a new personal best.

The England Athletics Indoor Championships are up next for Mapps in Sheffield on February 24-25.

And the talented teenager wasn’t the only Gwent athlete to medal in Cardiff.

There was a one-two for Newport Harriers in the under-13 girls’ 60m and 200m – Tiwaah Boateng and Olivia Gillespie finished first and second respectively in both.

Fellow Harriers Ceri Griffiths (under-13 girls’ 800m) and Amelia Fettis (under-15 girls’ shot put) also celebrated clinching Welsh titles.

In the under-13 boys’ shot put, Newport’s Iwan Dark sneaked silver by one centimetre, while clubmates Tessa Morgan, Bethan Morgan, Kellen Jones and Cameron Eley earned bronze medals in three different events across as many age groups.

Meanwhile, Rhymney Valley AC members took home five medals, including golds for Aneurin Paterson in the under-13 boys’ high jump and Caitlin Seaborne in the under-13 girls’ shot put.

Oliver Reardon (under-15 boys’ 300m), Cerys Radcliffe (under-13 girls’ long jump) and Iwan Rees (under-17 men’s high jump) secured bronze.

Cwmbran Harriers didn’t leave empty-handed as Cerys Jones (under-17 women 800m) and Dylan Matthews (under-17 men long jump) also won bronze medals.