Press report: Triple Northern Success

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club secured a medal hat-trick at the Northern Indoor Track and Field Championships. Katie Clarke, George Hyde and Ethan Milligan produced impressive podium performances at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport Arena.

Clarke secured an under 20 ladies gold medal in her first-ever competitive indoor appearance after clocking 10 minutes 52.52 seconds, just outside her outdoor personal best time.

Hyde celebrated an emphatic under 17 men’s shot put victory, hitting 15.49m to finish more than two metres clear of his nearest rival.

And Milligan cleared 1-85m for a silver medal in the under 20 men’s high jump competition.

Other West Cheshire members in action included Sophie Percival (10.96m in the women’s shot put), Ali Burkett (65.25 seconds in her women’s 400m heat), and Alan Littler (57.84 seconds in his men’s 400m heat).

ANEST MULLER, Ellie Robinson and Pam Ackroyd combined to earn West Cheshire AC ladies third team position at the latest round of the North Wales Cross Country League.

Muller posted 25:41 for ninth place at Baschurch, near Shrewsbury, ahead of Robinson (25th in 27:54), and Ackroyd (44th in 30:25), while Dave Alexander clocked 33:30 for 13th spot in the men’s race ahead of Andrew Clague (45th in 37:15).

JAC GOODALL of West Cheshire AC clocked 22:01 for 15th spot at the latest round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League held at the University Playing Fields.

IAN GLOYNE-PHILLIPS headed West Cheshire AC’s contingent home at Helsby’s Essar Four Villages Half Marathon.

Gloyne-Phillips rounded the 13.1 miles course in a new personal best time of 81 minutes 49 seconds, ahead of Dan Mitchell (season’s best of 85:50), Andrew Clague (season’s best of 86:38), and Richard Hayes (season’s best of 87:02).

Chris Palmer achieved a new personal best of 88:02, ahead of Everest adventurer Alex Staniforth who posted a seasons best of 88:09, Neil Webster (personal best of 90:21), Wullie McGarrell (season’s best of 90:32), Luke Ellis (season’s best of 90:51), Joe Foy (season’s best of 90:58), Andy Carter (season’s best of 91:53), Andy Dawe (season’s best of 91:58), and Rob Freeman (season’s best of 94:22).

Keely Smith was West Cheshire AC’s first lady home, posting a season’s best of 98:45, ahead of Rob Boggild (personal best of 1:41:03), Richard Hunt (personal best of 1:45:09), Lisa Davies (season’s best of 1:45:53), Clare Mallon (season’s best of 1:49:23), Peter Smith (season’s best of 1:53:06), Angela Tegg (personal best of 1:53:12), Julian Tegg (season’s best of 1:53:14), Brian Beattie (season’s best of 1:57:46), and Sarah Hughes (season’s best of 2:07:53).

OLIVIA MONTEZ-BROWN has started the year on a winning note. The West Cheshire Athletic Club multi-eventer who is a student at Augustana University in America, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

Montez-Brown broke the university record in the long jump at the MSU Alumni Open Meeting and won the 60m hurdles with a new personal best time of 8.76 seconds, as well as finishing fifth in the high jump.

The talented heptathlete from Ellesmere Port is now preparing to compete this weekend at the Jim Emmerich Invitational Meeting.

FIXTURES this weekend include the North West Sportshall Athletics League Finals at Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes on Sunday (10am start for under 11s, and 2pm start for under 13s and under 15s), and the latest round of the Borders Road Running League at Deeside College, Connah’s Quay, on Sunday (11am start).

ENTRIES are now being accepted for the Essar Chester Spring Five Miles Road Race being organised by West Cheshire AC on Wednesday, April 12. Further details can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk