Press report: Borders prove no obstacle for WCAC

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club celebrated a season to remember in the Borders Road Running League.

The Chester and Ellesmere Port outfit wrapped up the seven round campaign with three team trophies and seven individual awards after the final round held at Wrexham.

West Cheshire AC’s women won the Division One and Improvers Team titles and the club’s veteran men secured success in the team competition, while Ethan Greenland, Ethan Ackroyd, Greg Jones and Rory Willson occupied the top four places in the under 20 men’s event.

Sisters Katie and Issy Clarke finished first and second overall respectively in the under 20 women’s competition, while Anest Muller finished second behind winner Nicky Whitfield-Bird in the over 35 women’s category, and Bob Benson finished third in the over 60 men’s age group.

Ethan Greenland was West Cheshire’s first finisher at Wrexham in the four mile final race of the series, clocking 21:05 for sixth spot ahead of training partner Ackroyd (12th in 21:37), Jac Goodall (32nd in 22:43), Mark Davies (38th in 22:54), Dave Alexander (45th in 23:02), Alex Staniforth (47th in 23:09), Andrew Clague (48th in 23:10), Andy Carter (49th in 23:11), John Parlevliet (66th in 24:02), Graham Wells (75th in 24:19), Trevor Holmes (78th in 24:22), Daniel Mitchell (86th in 24:35), Rory Willson (94th in 24:51), Tony Woodall (97th in 24:56), Greg Jones (98th in 24:56), Andy Dawe (110th in 25:40), Ian Gloyne Phillips (120th in 25:59), Bob Benson (127th in 26:25), Dave Tiernan (138th in 27:09), Ian Ackroyd (173rd in 29:04), Peter Smith (192nd in 30:01), and Dave Bish (215th in 32:06).

Katie Clarke was third lady overall at Wrexham with a time of 24:08 and was backed up by her sister Issy (seventh lady in 25:38), Ellie Robinson (18th in 27:10), Lisa Davies (35th in 28:59), Pam Ackroyd (47th in 30:17), and Clare Mallon (48th in 30:24).

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Womens Division One: 1 West Cheshire 359 points; 2 Wallasey 525; 3 Buckley 641; 4 Wirral 668; 5 Helsby 673; 6 Prestatyn 791; 7 Chester Tri 829.

Womens Division Two: 1 Ellesmere Port 438; 2 Deestriders 638; 3 Tattenhall 968; 4 Abergele 1264; 5 Cybi Striders 1672; 6 Wrexham 1771; 7 Eryri 2355; 8 Wrecsam Tri 2390; 9 Deeside 2922; 10 Birkenhead 2952.

Veteran Women: 1 Wirral 307; 2 Helsby 353; 3 Ellesmere Port 451; 4 Chester Tri 453; 5 Buckley 483; 6 Wallasey 497; 7 West Cheshire 608; 8 Deestriders 962; 9 Prestatyn 1036; 10 Tattenhall 1195; 11 Wrexham 1789; 12 Cybi Striders 2126; 13 Abergele 2205; 14 Wrecsam Tri 2390; 15 Eryri 2506; 16 Birkenhead 2952; 17 Deeside 3150.

Improvers Women: 1 West Cheshire -1083; 2 Ellesmere Port -892; 3 Wrexham -882; 4 Wirral -746; 5 Buckley -703; 6 Helsby -419; 7 Wrecsam Tri -382; 8 Deestriders -321; 9 Deeside -228; 10 Birkenhead -198; 11 Wallasey -140; 12 Prestatyn 105; 13 Chester Tri 220; 14 Tattenhall 331; 15 Cybi Striders 363; 16 Abergele 620; 17 Eryri 1529.

Mens Division One: 1 Wallasey 2306; 2 Buckley 2324; 3 West Cheshire 3273; 4 Wirral 3942; 5 Helsby 3962; 6 Prestatyn 6700; 7 Deestriders 8013.

Mens Division Two: 1 Chester Tri 2875; 2 Wrexham 3645; 3 Abergele 4579; 4 Ellesmere Port 5845; 5 Tattenhall 6976; 6 Cybi Striders 7469; 7 Wrecsam Tri 8795; 8 Eryri 9439; 9 Deeside 9509; 10 Birkenhead 9662.

Veteran Men: 1 West Cheshire 2505; 2 Wallasey 2690; 3 Buckley 3265; 4 Chester Tri 3892; 5 Helsby 4743; 6 Wirral 4850; 7 Deestriders 7337; 8 Wrexham 7374; 9 Prestatyn 8039; 10 Ellesmere Port 9142; 11 Tattenhall 9259; 12 Abergele 9947; 13 Birkenhead 9970; 14 Eryri 10246; 15 Cybi Striders 10383; 16 Wrecsam Tri 11031; 17 Deeside 11987.

Improvers Men: 1 Wrexham -3243; 2 Chester Tri -2795; 3 Birkenhead -1545; 4 Buckley -1484; 5 Helsby -994; 6 Tattenhall -612; 7 Wallasey -193; 8 Deeside -123; 9 West Cheshire -80; 10 Wrecsam Tri 178; 11 Ellesmere Port 182; 12 Abergele 925; 13 Cybi Striders 1106; 14 Wirral 1744; 15 Prestatyn 2297; 16 Eryri 2320; 17 Deestriders 4037.

GEORGE HYDE used his strength to bag a hat-trick of victories for West Cheshire AC at Wigan’s Robin Park Stadium.

The talented England international thrower hit 16.39m for victory in the under 17 men’s shot alongside B winner Will Scott (8.89m) in the opening round of the under 17 and under 20 Youth Development Track and Field League.

Hyde then added 41.54m in the B hammer alongside overall winner and team mate Daniel Berg (45.96m), and then won the B javelin with 31.52m alongside overall winner and team mate Will Scott (31.90m), while Will Rattray (36.45m) and Scott (33.91m) teamed up for success in the discus.

Jac Goodall celebrated success in the under 17 men’s 1500m with 4:25.5 alongside Luke Carlile (5:26.6), and Sion Roberts (10:23.1) combined with B winner Rory Willson (10:29.4) in the 1500m.

Sam Paton (12.5 ) and Jake Gibson (13.5) combined in the under 17 men’s 100m, while Jacob Simmonds (25.1) and Josh Ford (24.1) teamed up in the 200m, and Dave Dentith (55.0) and Dan Pagan (62.0) performed in the 400m, before Dentith (2:16.0) and Paul Morrison (2:38.3) rounded the 800m. Gibson, Paton, Simmonds and Ford combined to win the 4x100m relay in 48.8, while Paton, Pagan, Simmonds and Dentith teamed up for a 4x400m time of 4:04.8.

Katie Clarke rounded the under 20 women’s 3000m (10:45.1) and 1500m steeplechase (5:48.0) for a double success story, while her sister Issy won the 1500m steeplechase in 5:59.0, and Maisie Tipping celebrated victory in the 300m hurdles with 48.4.

Georgia Barlow (13.4 and 27.1) was backed up by Chloe Mount (14.6 and 29.7) in the 100m and 200m respectively.

Emma Howe powered her way to victory in the under 17 womens javelin with 45.04m and clocked 14.1 alongside Harriet Alexander (14.5 and 29.4) and Laura Mount (29.0) in the 100m and 200m, while Lauren Dimbylow (44.3) and Beth McMahon (47.5) rounded the 300m and Eve Duret posted 5:22.4) in the 1500m.

Zac Barnsley (11.8 seconds in the 100m) and (25.0 in the 200m) was supported in the under 20 men’s sprints by Alex Kearns (24.7 for 200m and 55.6 for 400m), and Joseph Morrison (56.9 for 400m).

Morrison (2:05.8) and Rory Willson (2:34.6) combined in the 800m, while Ethan Greenland won the 3000m (9:36.2) and 2000m steeplechase (7:28.5), and the quartet of Dave Dentith, Kearns, Will Rattray and Barnsley clocked 49.5 in the 4x100m relay, and Greenland, Sion Roberts, Morrison and Kearns combined with 3:56.8 in the 4x400m relay.

MATCH RESULT: 1 Wigan & District Harriers 595 points; 2 Wirral 543; 3 West Cheshire 443; 4 Bolton United Harriers 368; 5 Border Harriers 292; 6 Crewe & Nantwich 279; 7 Team North Cumbria 159.

FIXTURES this week include the West Cheshire AC Schools Track and Field Cup at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Thursday, (May 4), at 4pm; the opening round of the Northern Track and Field League for West Cheshire AC at York on Saturday; and the opening round of the Cheshire Track and Field League at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Sunday (12 noon start).