Press Report: Five Go To Norfolk

WEST CHESHIRE ATHLETIC CLUB helped fly the county flag at two fixtures over the weekend.

Five members travelled to Norfolk to run for Cheshire at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, while 10 members competed for the county at the North West Regional Sportshall Athletics Championships.

Katie Clarke was second home for the senior girls team at Norfolk after finishing 48th in the field of 301 finishers with a time of 14 minutes 27 seconds, helping her county secure 14th team position.

Katie’s sister, Issy, achieved second spot for the ninth-placed Cheshire team in the intermediate girls race after negotiating the fairly flat and fast course in 13:38 for 52nd position overall out of a field of 345 runners.

Ethan Greenland rounded the 324-strong senior boys event in 108th place with a time of 24:23, claiming fourth counting position for Cheshire who secured sixth team position.

Dave Dentith (171st in 20:30) and Jac Goodall (205th in 20:39) secured fourth and fifth counting places for the 27th-placed Cheshire intermediate boys team.

MICHAEL MAXWELL and Uzezi Onomerike combined for the winning Cheshire under 13 boys team at Sportcity, Manchester, at the North West Regional Sportshall Athletics Championships.

Maxwell powered his way to a winning standing triple jump of 6.94m and Onomerike achieved 2.26m for fourth spot in the standing long jump.

The pair were joined at the event by club mates Matthew Webb, Nathan Partington and Tom Weaver who competed in the under 15 boys all-rounder event.

Webb finished third after clocking 20.2 seconds in his two lap, hitting 10.10m in the shot and 2.65m in the standing long jump, while Partington was 14th and Weaver 22nd.

The West Cheshire squad of Emma Ashcroft, Izzy Whittlestone, Halle Howell, Isla Shillington and Imogen Pughe combined to earn Cheshire fourth spot in the under 13 girls team event.

LAURA TURLEY clocked a new 300m personal best of 41.35 seconds at the Sale Harriers Indoor Open Meeting held at Sportcity, Manchester.

ROB LITTLE headed a trio of West Cheshire AC runners home at the Wilmslow Half Marathon.
Little posted one hour 18 minutes 12 seconds for seventh place in his over 40 age group, ahead of Everest adventurer Alex Staniforth who clocked 1:23:31, and Luke Ellis in 1:28:26.

NEIL CARTER and Ian Ackroyd represented West Cheshire AC at the Wigan Half Marathon, where Carter posted 1:43:52 and Ackroyd clocked a new personal best time of 1:44:17 for 12th and 15th positions respectively in their over-55 age category. In the accompanying Run Wigan Festival 5k, Pam Ackroyd also recorded a PB, her time of 22:41 carving nearly three minutes from the club FV55 record.

RORY WILLSON achieved a new Delamere 5k parkrun personal best time of 19:06 for second position, ahead of West Cheshire club mates Sion Roberts in 10th place and Lily Moorhouse (16th lady).

Andrew Clague finished second in 18:37 at the Chester 5k parkrun, ahead of other West Cheshire finishers Andy Carter (10th in 19:48), Sam Hollins (13th in 20:35), Joe Foy (15th in 21:06), Patrick Tait (23rd in 22:08), Bob Benson (29th in 22:22), Peter Smith (61st in 24:37), Tony Kennedy (81st in 25:48), Graham Wells (88th in 26:13), and Brian Beattie (111th in 27:35).

Bob Freeman (seventh in 22:06) headed West Cheshire’s charge at the Ellesmere Port 5k ParkRun, ahead of Julian Tegg (14th in 23:56), Paul Morrison (15th in 23:58), Harvey Tegg (18th in 24:47), Jodi Bemand (second lady in pb of 25:15), Henrietta Duffey (fifth lady in 27:23), and Stephanie Jones (sixth lady in 27:34).

CHESTER KING’S SCHOOL won the Chester Primary Schools Cross Team Team Competition organised at Ellesmere Port Sports Village and hosted by West Cheshire AC.

Seven schools fielded a full team of 16 runners at the event which comprised of girls and boys races for years three, four, five and six, and attracted 22 schools and more than 300 pupils.

King’s finished ahead of runners-up Saughall All Saints, and joint third placed Oldfield and Overleigh St Mary’s.

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

FIXTURES this week include the Cheshire Primary and Secondary Schools Sportshall Athletics Finals at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Friday, (March 24); the Northern Men’s and Women’s Road Relay Championships and under 15 and under 17 5k road race at Stanley Park, Blackpool, on Saturday; and the annual Year Seven Boys and Girls Cheshire v Merseyside Cross Country Match at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Monday, (March 27), 5pm start.