A PENTRAETH sprinting sensation has been selected to participate in a leading pathway programme.

Zachary Price, a pupil at Ysgol David Hughes, has been accepted into the British Athletics Academy of Sporting Excellence after a hugely impressive selection process that caught the eye of coaches at the facility.

With a blistering personal best of 10.84 seconds in the 100 metres and 21.89s in the 200m, 16-year-old Price of Menai Track and Field is one of the top sprinting prospects in the United Kingdom, ranked a lofty third in the UK across 100m and fourth in the 200m.

A strong medal hope also this summer for Anglesey’s Island Games team which will head to Gibraltar in July, Price is expected to develop his skills considerably at one of the top centres of its kind anywhere on the continent.

Barry Edwards, lead coach at Menai Track and Field, said: “Zach has made the headlines because of his talent and hard work before, but to see him secure a place at the British Athletics Academy is a fantastic achievement for him and a perfect testament to the kind of person he is.

“To have someone from north-west Wales secure this, it’s unheard of almost, but everyone is so thrilled for Zach.

“This is another massive step in what is sure to be an amazing journey for this young man. Da iawn Zach, a pob lwc!”

This is the first stage of the British Athletics Performance Pathway for young athletes aged between 16 and 18.

The programme gives athletes the opportunity to learn and develop the necessary skills to progress onto to becoming a senior international whilst gaining further qualifications and is designed to complement club training.

This will be the seventh year that British Athletics have run the AASE programme and it boasts a host of successful graduates including Matthew Hudson-Smith, Reece Prescod, Ojie Edoburun and Jake Norris.