SAMURAI star Sarah Biles narrowly missed out on a place at the European Cadet Championships at the British trials.

The teenager was invited to the trials, where the four best English fighters battled it out with two Scottish contenders and the best fighters from Wales and Northern Ireland for a spot on the Great Britain team at the Stadium of Sport in Sheffield.

Biles started well and comfortably overcame the Welsh fighter, taking just ten seconds to win the contest, while the Scottish number one was dispatched inside 15 seconds by a strong groundhold.

Against a fighter from Liverpool Biles had the upper hand as the bout went into extra-time but tasted defeat after conceding a late score with 20 seconds to go.

Another narrow defeat against another English girl from Grimsby left Biles in fourth place, but it had been a good performance and showed that she is not far from the top of her age and weight band.

Clubmates Ryan Humphries and Katie Griffiths were on target again with bronze medals at a tough junior open championships.

Humphries won his first three contests in style to reach the semi-finals of the under-30 kilogram category, before suffering his only defeat against a Warwickshire player. However, he bounced back well to win bronze.

Griffith was in a tough under-36kg section but surprised everybody by throwing a high quality Telford girl and then turning a very talented and experienced Dudley green belt over on the ground and holding her.

She eventually lost to a girl from Kettering, who is probably the best player in the country at that weight at present.

Liane Gillespie-Akar had two spectacular wins on her way to a fifth place, while Frankie Marston and Bryony Griffiths also finished fifth.

In the seniors Liam Feely was off to Ipswich for a senior open championships and the young black belt showed some good style as he took the gold medal.

Jacob Maynall, another of the former Bewdley Judo Club fighters, has been promoted to top yellow belt, while four more young newcomers have been graded to yellow, including Humphries, Elliot Murphy, Chloe Bustin and Ellis Stubbins. Alicia Gulliver moves to top red, which is just below yellow belt.

For details about starting judo or information about the club and its activities you can telephone 0776 1122977 or visit the Samurai website on www.samurai.org.uk Medals summary: Ipswich Senior Open: Liam Feely - gold.

European Cadet Championships Trials: Sarah Biles - fourth.

Junior Open: Ryan Humphries - bronze; Katie Griffiths - bronze.

Junior grading - top yellow: Jacob Maynall.

Yellow: Ryan Humphries; Elliot Murphy; Chloe Bustin; Ellis Stubbins. Top red: Alicia Gulliver.