Press report: Lark Flies Away in Forest

JESSICA LARK was crowned county cross country champion at Delamere Forest.

The West Cheshire Athletic Club youngster posted a winning time of eight minutes 51 seconds to secure the under 11 girls title at the Cheshire AA Championships.

Lark finished 37 seconds clear of her nearest rival and was supported by club mates Cerys Rowlands (14th in 10:15), Eleanor Williams (16th in 10:19), Helen Tenner (18th in 10:22), Macy Brett (22nd in 11:04), and Kara Stoll (27th in 12:49) to earn the team fourth spot.

Reece Munro bagged a silver medal in the under 11 boys race with a time of 8:18, backed up by team mates Luke Parker (fourth in 8:39), and Ben Kelly (21st in 9:43) to earn second spot in the team event, supported by Luca Lewis (28th in 10:06), Oliver Mallon (35th in 10:49), and Oliver Wells (36th in 10:57).

Carys Roberts (fifth in 14:06), Imogen Pughe (sixth in 14:21), and Sophie Grainger (eighth in 14:34) combined to earn West Cheshire AC’s under 13 girls team silver, ahead of Jodi Bemand (22nd in 16:21), Georgina Duffey (27th in 16:48), Grace Scott (36th in 18:36), and Henrietta Duffey (37th in 19:33).

Sammy Hollins (11th in 13:34), Henry Robinson (14th in 13:47), and Ryan Cooke (15th in 13:47) secured team bronze in the under 13 boys race, ahead of club colleagues Elliott Bujac (28th in 15:32), Louis Tegg (29th in 15:35), and Dan Willetts (35th in 16:49).

Lucia Pyne celebrated a bronze medal after clocking 23:07 in the under 15 girls race ahead of club mate Abigail Cartwright (ninth in 27:16).

Issy Clarke (sixth in 29:41), Eve Duret (eighth in 31:09), and Beth McMahon (13th in 33:46) secured team silver in the under 17 ladies race alongside Lily Moorhouse (16th in 39:02).

Sion Roberts (sixth in 25:03), Dave Dentith (13th in 26:02), and Jac Goodall (15th in 26:28) combined to earn team silver alongside Rory Willson (21st in 29:53), Morgan Smith (22nd in 30:21), and Paul Morrison (23rd in 32:39).

Will Wright (seventh in 20:24), Harvey Tegg (10th in 20:56), and Matthew Douglass (13th in 21:3) combined to earn the under 15 boys team bronze alongside Joseph Hancock (14th in 21:35), and Aaron Scott (18th in 23:46).

Ethan Greenland (fourth in 31:17), Joseph Morrison (seventh in 33:16), and Greg Jones (12th in 35:53) bagged team bronze in the under 20 men’s race.

Claire Harris (ninth lady in 40:40), Ellie Robinson (third over-45 lady in 41:06), Kerry Riley (15th lady in 43:27), Clare Mallon (37th in 44:49), Angela Tegg (eighth over-45 lady in 45:00), and Hannah Moorhouse (19th over-45 lady in 53:59) combined to earn 10th spot in both the ladies and veteran ladies team events.

Tom Booth (16th in 47:59) headed the West Cheshire AC charge in the men’s race alongside Andrew Clague (sixth over-45 man in 50:24), Neil Hershaw (third over-50 man in 50:34), Chris Palmer (30th in 51:41), Andy Carter (11th over-45 man in 52:05), Phil Woodley (42nd in 54:11), Richard Hayes (18th over-45 man in 55:05), Steven Fernyhough (50th in 57:24), Andrew Dawe (27th over-50 man in 58:37), Julian Tegg (26th over-45 man in 60:09), Bob Benson (11th over-60 man in 66:26), Peter Smith (15th over-55 man in 67:34), and Jon Moorhouse (39th over-50 man in 68:36), to earn the club fourth place in the men’s team event and fifth spot in the veteran mens team competition.

ETHAN ACKROYD represented West Cheshire AC at the North Wales Cross Country Championships and finished fourth in the under 17 mens race at Rhug Estate, Corwen, where Anest Muller produced a strong performance in the womens race.

JACKSON SLOAN of West Cheshire AC finished seventh with a time of 23:21 at the Merseyside Cross Country Championships held at Arrowe Park, Birkenhead.

LAURA TURLEY celebrated a double success story at the Sale Harriers Open Indoor Meeting in Manchester.

Turley posted new under 23 womens personal bests of 7.85 seconds in the 60m and 39.56 seconds in the 300m.

She was joined at the fixture by West Cheshire AC’s Gabriel Mikoleizik, Alan Littler, Liam Davoren, Lara Battersby, Stephanie Jones, Jodi Bemand, and Ava Byrne.

Mikoleizik posted a new under 15 boys 60m personal best of 7.88 seconds, while Littler and Davoren clocked 300m times of 40.61 and 40.92 seconds respectively.

Battersby posted new under 15 girls personal bests of 10.31 seconds in the 60m hurdles and 47.42 seconds in the 300m, and long jumped 4.35m alongside Jones who clocked 9.05 seconds in her under 13 girls 60m, 47.09 seconds in the 300m, and posted 4.60m in the long jump, while Bemand posted 50.07 seconds in her 300m, 10.43 seconds in her 60m hurdles, and cleared 1-30m in the high jump, and Byrne who clocked a new under 15 girls 60m hurdles personal best of 11.31 seconds and a new best of 4.58m in the long jump.

FIXTURES this weekend include the Manchester Area Cross Country League match on Saturday at Woodbank Park, Stockport (12 noon start) for under 11s through to seniors, and the Northern Indoor Under 17, Under 20 and Seniors Track and Field Championships take place on Saturday and Sunday at Sheffield, while the third round of the Borders Road Running League takes place at Abergele on Sunday (11am start).