Cara Pain broke a county record and gained revenge over Ellen Howarth-Brown at the Sussex Schools' Championships.

The Hastings athlete won the senior girls' 400m hurdles (61.9sec) to pip Howarth-Brown (West Sussex West) and reverse their positions at last year's All England Schools' 300m final.

Howarth-Brown, from Chichester, also broke the eight-year-old record set by Leanne Buxton (Brighton, Hove and Portslade) with her time of 62.5sec.

Cara, a student at Helenswood/William Parker Sixth Form College, said: "I've only been doing athletics for about 18 months after getting fed up with gymnastics. I've learned about how to put in more preparation since Ellen beat me and it paid off.

"The conditions during my race helped. They were just right for me, with hardly any wind. It was close but that was something I expected and I was very happy to beat her and get the record.

"Ellen and I are likely to meet again at the All England Schools Championships next month and hopefully my win is a good omen."

Several records tumbled during the meeting at Crawley.

Leanne George (BHP) sped to victory in the 200m (25.1sec).

Holly Weaver (BHP) won the pole vault (three metres) and Rachel Bashford (Ouse Valley) set a hammer best (40.24m).

The Perkins sisters (Mid Sussex) made it a family double. Emma claimed the senior high jump (1.65m) and sister Vicky recorded a championship-best 10.53m to take the intermediate triple jump.

International Carley Wenham (West Sussex North), a national champion, secured the intermediate 200m in a championship-best 25.2sec.

Lucy Tattersall (West Sussex South) edged out Kelly Coombs (Hastings) in the intermediate hammer by just 21cm when she won with a record 35.88m.

Bella Hailstone (BHP) roared to victory in the 75m hurdles despite being a year younger than many of her rivals.

Craig Ivemy (Eastbourne) was the only senior boy to set a record. Ivemy, who moved up to seniors this year, smashed a 17-year-old record when he came first in the 3,000m (8min.31.4sec). Silver medallist Tom Bilham (WSW) finished nearly 25 seconds behind him.

Training partners Set Osho and Jason Hussain, who have been closing in on Steve Ovett county schools' 400m record in recent weeks, cruised to wins.

Osho held off a strong challenge by BHP teammate Gavin Selway to win the 400m in 48.6sec. He was chasing the record of 48.6sec but the wind got up and prevented him getting close to Olympian Sean Baldock's best time of 48.6sec. Selway finished second in 49.5sec.

Hussain, running for Eastbourne, eased home in 22.2sec to win the 200m and was more than a second faster than runner-up Craig Cox (WSN).

Mark Gregory, who coaches Osho, Hussain, Selway and Baldock at Eastbourne, said: "The conditions limited Set and Jason and, to be honest, they weren't pushed that hard."

Baldock, who was selected for Britain's Europa Cup team in Poland two days ago, said: "I would not have minded if my record had gone. Records are there to be broken. Set, Jason and Gavin have got a nice cockiness about them and I enjoy training with them."

A brilliant intermediate javelin competition ended with the fall of a 32-year-old record.

Joe Waller (Mid Sussex) was pushed to a championship-best 58.37m by Alex McEwan (WSN), who finished with 57.21m. Waller's effort broke John Trower's 1972 display by 0.31m.

Waller, an Ardingly College pupil, said: "I beat my personal best by quite a long way, around five metres. I don't know how I managed to produce such a big throw. I suppose it might be because I've got a lot bigger recently."

Daniel Dunscombe, the West Sussex South athlete, from Worthing, produced an outstanding performance to win the high jump (1.79m) and beat the previous best which had stood since 1985.

Dunscombe recently won the South of England Championships.

He said: "I've got better because I'm more motivated. My concentration has improved and I'm benefiting from hard training.

Organiser Keith May said: "There were some great performances. You've got to pick out Cara's run in the 400m and Daniel is clearly in form.

"It augurs well for the All England Championships. Hopefully Sussex can do well."

Sussex this week select a 35-strong team for the nationals.