George and Sophie put WCAC on map

GEORGE HYDE and Sophie Percival are celebrating regional medal-winning displays.

The West Cheshire Athletic Club pair produced impressive performances at the North of England Indoor Championships held in the English Institute of Sport Arena, Sheffield.

Hyde powered his way to victory in the under 17 mens shot put event with 14.37m, just one centimetre clear of nearest rival David Todd from Chester-le-Street.

And Percival, a student at the University of Chester, pocketed a silver medal in the under 20 womens shot put final with 10.50m.

Georgia Barlow clocked a new under 20 womens 60m personal best of 8.06 seconds to finish fourth in the final, and she added 26.67 seconds for third position in her 200m heat.

James McMahon posted 8.65 seconds for fifth position in the under 20 mens 60m hurdles final, while Danielle Erskine (seventh with 4.83m) and Victoria Snook (eighth with 4.53m) competed in the womens long jump.

McMahon also clocked 7.54 seconds for fourth spot in his 60m heat, alongside club mate Zac Barnsley who was fourth in his heat with a time of 7.44 seconds, while Matthew Hunter made his West Cheshire debut with 57.56 seconds for fifth place in his heat of the mens 400.

FIVE West Cheshire youngsters have guided their county to a double success story.

Lara Battersby, Stephanie Jones, Ben Mustafa, Zak Grinter, and Uzezi Onomericke combined to represent Cheshire, who won both the under 11 girls and boys team titles at the under 11s Fun In Athletics Indoor Competition held at Sportcity, Manchester.

FINAL TEAM RESULTS

GIRLS – 1 Cheshire 485 points; 2 Greater Manchester 453; 3 Lancashire 436; 4 Merseyside 422; 5 Cumbria 414.

BOYS – 1 Cheshire 469; 2 Greater Manchester 465; 3 Merseyside 433; 4 Cumbria 425; 5 Lancashire 418.

ISAAC TAIT won the minor boys race at the Cheshire Schools Cross Country Championships held at Winsford.

Tait, representing Chester, was one of several members of West Cheshire Athletic Club in action at the Knights Grange Sports Complex where he was backed up by Chester team-mates Will Ashfield (second), Edward Woodhead (fifth), James Lanni (10th), Jack Williams (11th), Dylan Bugg (12th), Matthew Halton (20th), Eden Hamilton Davies (25th), Liam Drew (26th), Matthew Ridge (36th), and Ben Mason (51st).

Issy Clarke of West Cheshire AC, representing Chester, secured third spot in the intermediate girls race, supported by team mates Martha Owen (10th), Isobel Gelder (18th), Alice Bourne (19th), Beth McMahon (24th), Lucy Buckley (32nd), and Lauren Walker (33rd).

West Cheshire AC pair Ethan Greenland (eighth) and Christy Mageean (ninth) completed the intermediate boys race in Chester colours, backed up by team mates Jac Goodall (12th), Thomas Adkins (15th), Dave Dentith (16th), Rory Willson (17th), Alex Mason (21st), Matthew McDonnell (29th), and Charlie Weaver (30th).

Anna Crayston, of West Cheshire AC, headed the Chester charge in the junior girls race, finishing eighth, ahead of Imogen Owen (ninth), Holly Illingworth (10th), Charlotte Walker (12th), Izzy Lally (24th), Lily Moorhouse (29th), Nina Walker (33rd), Mimi Jayaram (35th), Chloe Fahny (39th), and Freya Morris (43rd).

Sonny Dean also of West Cheshire AC, represented Halton in the junior boys race and finished fourth, ahead of the first Chester finisher, Sion Roberts (10th), Jack Dodd of Ellesmere Port(11th), and Charlie Potts of Halton(32nd).

Other Chester finishers included Ben Grinter (34th), Matthew Douglass (43rd), Will Hopkins (44th), Dillon Moore (54th), Luke Carlile (55th), Johnny Rawcliffe (60th), Cameron Rennie of Ellesmere Port (61st) and Stan Simm (65th), and Chester duo Paul Studley (63rd) and Owen Humber (66th).

Katie Clarke was the only Chester representative in the senior girls race and rounded the course in sixth position. Cameron Weaver was the only Chester senior boy runner, finishing second.

Anna Harris (12th), Ella Dimbylow (15th), Holly Lindberg (23rd), Lowry Huxley (27th), Lizzie Clarke (29th), Holly Lee (30th), Lucy McBurney (31st), Catrin Williams (34th), Lily Kennigham (40th), Kitty Long (41st) and Rebecca Davies (43rd) combined for Chester in the minor girls race.

ANDY CARTER was the first West Cheshire AC finisher at the popular Four Villages Half Marathon at Helsby.

Carter finished 13th in his over 45 age group and 71st overall with a time of one hour 23 minutes 51 seconds at the event, which atttacted 2,000 competitors.

He was joined at the fixture by clubmates Graham Wells (17th M40 and 84th overall in 1:24:35), Rob Little (94th in 1:25:27), Bob Freeman (second V60 in 1:30:26), Andy Starkey (30th M50 in 1:33:49), Steve Hillier (350th in 1:36:57), Neil Carter (41st M50 in 1:37:28), Ben McKean (389th in 1:38:17), Vince Hodges (61st M45 in 1:39:53), Richard Batterham (fifth V65 in 1:41:49), Tony Kennedy (787th in 1:50:09), Clare Mallon (807th in 1:50:42), Peter Smith (840th in 1:51:24), Sharon Eaton (21st FV45 in 1:52:18), Mark Povey (1,063rd in 1:56:53), Brian Beattie (second V70 in 1:58:13), and Lorrie McFaul (35th FV50 in 2:04:35).

FIXTURES this weekend include the latest round of the Borders Road Running League, which takes place at Abergele (11am start), and West Cheshire AC will be represented by six teams on Sunday at the North West Sportshall Athletics League Finals at Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes, (10am start for under 11s, and 2pm start for under 13s and 15s).