Press report: Emma and George Top UK Rankings

EMMA HOWE and George Hyde both ended 2017 at the top of their UK age group ranking lists.

The West Cheshire Athletic Club duo, who both turned out to help their club host the Essar Chester Round The Walls Race on Boxing Day, are now aiming to build on a memorable year which featured international honours.

Howe, who powered her way to a bronze medal performance during her England international debut at the Youth Commonwealth Games at Nassau in The Bahamas, heads the under 17 women’s javelin rankings after hitting 50.34m at Loughborough in September.

The talented teenager had achieved victories earlier in the year at the English Schools Championships, UK Schools Games, England Athletics Under 20 Championships, and at both the Cheshire County Clubs’ and Schools’ Championships.

Hyde celebrated top spot in the under 17 men’s shot put ranking list after launching a winning throw of 17.42m at Bedford in August to secure the England Athletics Under 20 Championship title.

He won the gold medal while representing England at Dublin in the Schools International Meeting with a put of 16.14m, and added success at the England Athletics Under 17 Championships in Bedford, the English Schools title at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, the UK Schools Games title at Loughborough, and both Cheshire County Clubs’ and Schools’ Championship honours.

Hyde also triumphed in March when he represented England in Cardiff at the Welsh Athletics Indoor International.

Other West Cheshire AC members who secured top-40 positions in the 2017 UK age group ranking lists included Evie Tipping, Olivia Montez-Brown, Emily Ball, Sophie Percival, Katie Clarke, Ethan Milligan, Imogen Pughe, Jodi Bemand, Lara Battersby, Stephanie Jones, and Isla Shillington, Fatoumatta Bojang, Ewan Bradley, Gabriel Mikoleizik, Alice McMahon and Laura Turley.

Tipping is ranked fourth in the under 15 girls hammer throwing list after nailing 49.89m at Liverpool in September, while Montez-Brown is 13th in the senior womens heptathlon UK list after posting 5,251 points at Bradenton, Florida, during May.

Ball is 20th in the senior women’s shot put rankings after hitting 13.08m indoors at Sheffield in February, while Percival is 21st in the women’s javelin rankings with 43.53m achieved at Warrington in May.

Clarke clocked 5:38.6 at Crewe in May for 38th spot in the under 20 women’s 1500m steeplechase rankings, while Milligan cleared 1-95m at Warrington in April for joint 24th place in the under 20 men’s high jump rankings.

Pughe is 40th in the under 13 girls 1200m rankings after clocking 4:00.3 at Sportcity in June, while Bemand and Battersby are joint 28th and joint 37th respectively in the under 13 girls 70m hurdles with times of 11.8 and 11.9 seconds.

Jones is 32nd in the under 13 girls long jump list after achieving 4.66m at Warrington in June, while Shillington is 14th in the under 13 girls discus rankings after hitting 26.34m at Wrexham in September.

Bojang is 32nd in the under 13 girls 200m rankings after posting 27.7 seconds at Salford in July, while Bradley hoisted himself to 40th spot in the under 17 pole vault list with 3.45m at Macclesfield in June, and Mikoleizik secured 28th spot in the under 13 boys 100m rankings with 12.7 seconds at Ellesmere Port in September.

Sprint duo Alice McMahon and Laura Turley also produced impressive performances, with McMahon posting 12.16 seconds at Wakefield for 22nd spot in the under 23 women’s 100m rankings and 24.9 seconds at Wigan for 29th place in her age group.

Turley ended the year with a best 200m time of 25.22 seconds achieved at Preston in August to secure 35th position in the under 23 women’s rankings.

FIXTURES this weekend include the Cheshire AA County Cross Country Championships at Delamere Forest on Saturday, (11.30am start first race).