STUDENTS from Dudley College have qualified for the AoC Sport National Championships 2017.

Eighteen youngsters will compete against athletes from colleges across England and Wales at the event.

As well as individual glory, the team will be aiming to accumulate points for their region and win the prestigious Wilkinson Sword trophy.

The Men’s Under 19 football team fought off stiff competition from colleges across the region to win gold, which qualifies them for the national finals taking place at the University of Nottingham between April 21 and 23.

Cross country runners, Elliot Jones, Reece Ashfield and Katie Hickman, gained their places by placing in the top eight runners.

Theon Streete will also compete in men’s singles table tennis and Chris Gardner adds to his own personal success of making the England Colleges hockey side this season, by being selected for the regional team.

Lisa Colling, who is studying for her A levels at Dudley Sixth, is also hoping to go one better than last year where she finished in fourth place in the women’s tennis competition.

The college's sports development manager, Simon King, said he was "excited" about the students' prospects.

He said: "We have eighteen students qualified for the championships, which is an incredible achievement and our largest ever cohort.

"We have had numerous successes over the past eight years, with students winning medals at the finals but we are particularly pleased to have an entire football team competing as well as being represented in four other disciplines.

"It goes to show the array of sporting excellence we have in the borough and the fantastic opportunities that Dudley College provide for talented athletes."

For more information about the AoC Sport National Championships 2017, visit www.aocsportchamps.org.