Press report: Youngsters represent County, at Home and Away
SOPHIE GRAINGER and Issy Clarke starred for Cheshire at the English Schools Cross Country Championships.
The West Cheshire Athletic Club pair impressed for their county in challenging snow and bitterly cold conditions during the event staged at Temple Newsam Park, Leeds
Grainger clocked 12 minutes 37 seconds for 106th position in the 342-strong junior girls field and was third scoring counter for the Cheshire team who finished 20th, ahead of club mate Lucia Pyne, recovering from illness, who posted 14:16 representing Merseyside.
Clarke rounded the senior girls race in a time of 17:19 for 52nd place in the 323-strong senior girls event and was fifth scoring counter alongside Deeside’s Martha Owen who posted 16:58 for 34th spot to earn Cheshire seventh team position.
West Cheshire AC’s Ethan Greenland (136th in 25:45) was Cheshire’s all-important sixth scoring counter to earn the county sixth spot in the senior boys team event in a race won by England international team mate Matthew Willis in 22:23.
Will Wright of West Cheshire AC represented Merseyside and finished 158th in 15:56 to secure fourth scoring counter for his junior boys team.
Sion Roberts (246th in 20:39) ensured Cheshire’s intermediate boys achieved a team result, and Beth McMahon battled her way to the line in the senior girls race in 21:40 for 299th position.
CARYS ROBERTS helped steer Cheshire Schools to success in Monday night’s annual year seven cross country match against Merseyside hosted by West Cheshire AC at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.
West Cheshire AC member Roberts finished second in the girls race which featured 10 Cheshire pupils claiming places inside the top 13 positions, earning Cheshire 39 points compared to Merseyside’s 125.
Dan Willetts of West Cheshire AC represented Cheshire in the boys race which his county won convincing with 53 points compared to Merseyside’s 105.
JOSH FORD of West Cheshire AC clocked a new under 20 mens 60m personal best of 7.43 seconds at the Sale Harriers Indoor Open Meeting.
He was joined at the event by club mates Liam Davoren, Ava Byrne, and Stephanie Jones.
Davoren clocked a new men’s 60m personal best of 8.04 seconds, and posted a new 300m personal best of 40.34 seconds.
Byrne posted new under 15 girls 60m personal best of 8.66 seconds and 10.02 seconds for a new 60m hurdles personal best, and added a 4.31m long jump, while Jones clocked a new under 15 girls 300m best of 45.28 seconds and long jumped 4.35m.
MARK DAVIES of West Cheshire AC won the Chester 5k parkrun with a time of 18:38, ahead of Steve Fernyhough (third in 19:21), Neil Hershaw (fourth in 19:24), Andrew Clague (sixth in 19:35), Andy Carter (seventh in 19:44), Peter Smith (43rd in 25:01), and Tony Kennedy (70th in 26:50).
HARVEY TEGG of West Cheshire AC finished fourth in 21:54 at the Ellesmere Port 5k parkrun, ahead of Rob Freeman (eighth in 23:31), Darren Shillington (13th in 25:53), Henrietta Duffey (21st in 29:59), and Mark Duffey (22nd in 33:42).
FIXTURES this weekend include the final round of the Essar West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday (10am start), the Northern Under 15s and Under 17s Road Race Championships at Birkenhead Park on Sunday (10am start), and the North West Regional Sportshall Championships at Sportcity, Manchester, on Sunday (12.30pm start).
The Ellesmere Port Primary Schools Cross Country Races take place at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Monday (3.30pm start), and the West Cheshire AC Pre-Season Track and Field Trials will take place at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Track on Thursday, March 29 (6pm start) and on Saturday, March 31 (10am start).
