CARYS ROBERTS headed West Cheshire Athletic Club’s charge at the English National Cross Country Championships.

The talented youngster finished 12th in a field of 418 finishers in the under 13 girls 3km race in a time of 11 minutes 22 seconds at Harewood House, Leeds, ahead of team mates Jessica Lark (12:54) and Aimee Phillips (13:54).
Carys’ brother, Sion, achieved 49th spot in the under 17 men’s 6km race with a time of 20:29, ahead of team mate Harvey Tegg (22:30).

Sophie Grainger was 66th with a time of 16:33 in the under 15 girls race staged over a 4km course, while Ethan Greenland was 97th with a time of 32:27 in the under 20 men’s 10km race ahead of team mate Rory Willson (40:43).

Isaac Tait rounded the under 15 boys 4km race in a time of 15:35 for 165th spot, ahead of team mates Sammy Hollins (15:59), Joseph Hancock (17:03), and Henry Robinson (18:30).

Claire Harris (36:16) and Ellie Robinson (37:47) completed the senior women’s 8km race, and the trio of Dave Alexander (45:48), Andrew Clague (47:54), and Andy Carter (51:53) rounded the senior men’s 12km course.

CHECK YOUR IRON LEVELS
A number of Club members have found they have been struggling in training sessions and competitions due to iron deficiency and anyone in this situation is urged by the club’s coaching staff to book an appointment with their GP and request an iron deficiency test.
Iron is essential for athletic performance. It is the component of haemoglobin in your red blood cells that transports oxygen to your cells and carries carbon dioxide away. The brain also relies on oxygen transport, and without enough iron, you will find it hard to concentrate and feel tired and irritable. Iron is also needed to maintain a healthy immune system. If you don’t have enough iron you may be prone to more frequent infections.

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club duo Laura Turley and Katie Clarke have both grabbed podium places. Turley delivered a silver medal performance while representing Chester University in the 400m at the British Universities and Colleges Indoor Athletics Championships in Sheffield.

SOPHIE GRAINGER achieved a podium place in the Manchester Area Cross Country League Series.

The West Cheshire Athletic Club teenager secured third spot overall in the under 15 girls competition after posting fourth position at the final fixture on Saturday at Kenworthy Woods, Wythenshawe.

LAURA TURLEY represented West Cheshire AC at the British Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

Turley, who retained the Welsh Indoor 400m title at Cardiff earlier this month, clocked a new personal best of 54.67 seconds in her qualifying heat in Birmingham, and then clocked 55.05 seconds in her semi-final.

ROSEMARY ROGERS was first over-65 lady after completing the Nick Beer 10k Road Race at Llandudno in a time of 58 minutes 50 in gale force winds. She was joined at the event by West Cheshire AC club mate Sarah Hibbert who posted 56:48.

TONY WOODALL represented West Cheshire AC at the Liverpool and District Cross Country Championships at Clarke Gardens, Allerton, where he posted 39:12 for 64th spot, ahead of club mate Brygida Gorecka ((50:36).

EWAN BRADLEY clocked a new under 20 men’s 60m hurdles personal best of 8.50 seconds at the Sale Harriers Indoor Open Meeting.

The West Cheshire AC all-rounder also achieved 6.07m in the long jump, while club mates Christian Okeke, and sisters Chloe and Laura Mount clocked new under 20 women’s 60m personal bests of 9.34 and 9.36 respectively.

Jodi Bemand delivered 10.04 in the under 15 girls 60m hurdles, 8.93 in the 60m, and 29.83 in the 200m, while Joseph Morrison rounded the under 23 men’s 600m in 1:27.19.

A TOTAL of 252 pupils competed at the latest round of the ESSAR West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series held at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.

Anna Birkett-Evans (The Firs), Mae Grant (St Oswalds), Ruby Phillips (Sutton Green), Cerys Rowlands (Woodlands), Jessica Lark (Upton), Georgina Duffey (Birkenhead Academy), Joe Gregg (Eccleston), Joe Williams (Kings), Ben Pold (Kings), Benjamin Williams (Willaston), Zak Ireland (Bishop Heber), and Elliott Bujac (Wirral Grammar) all won their respective races.

Birkett-Evans finished two seconds clear of runner-up Maya Jennings (Belgrave) and third-placed Ava Aiston (Waverton) in the year three girls race, while Grant beat runner-up Sophie Taylor (Kings) on the line in the year four girls race ahead of Edith Carr (Acresfield) in third spot.

Phillips won the year five girls race 26 seconds clear of second placed Eleanor Neve (Mickle Trafford), with Jemima Blackwood (Upton Heath) in third place, and Rowlands won the year six girls race 22 seconds ahead of Boughton Heath pair Molly Brennan and Lottie Blake who were second and third respectively.

Lark won the year seven girls race ahead of Aimee Phillips (Whitby) and third placed Ruby Carlile (Christleton), while Duffey won the year eight girls race ahead of second placed Megan White (Queen’s).

Gregg just edged home to win the year three boys race ahead of Newton’s Zak Jackson and Eccleston’s Ethan Meadowcroft, while Williams won the year four boys race ahead of Overleigh’s Thomas Rimmer and Farndon’s Joshua Evans.

Pold won the year five boys race, three seconds clear of Tom Yates (Newton) and Harry Shepherd (The Firs) who were second and third respectively, while Williams won the year six boys race ahead of second placed Jack Nash (King’s) and Joseph Ireland (Mill View) in third spot.

Zak Ireland (Bishop Heber) won the year seven boys race in front of runner-up Thomas Wilde (Christleton) and Matthew Jones (Upton) in third spot, while Bujac won the year eight boys race ahead of runner-up Nolan Heller (Abbeygate).

FIXTURES this weekend include the Parbold Hill Race on Saturday (2pm start), while the Sale Harriers Open Indoor Meeting takes place on Sunday (10am), the same day as the Village Bakery Half Marathon at Wrexham (11am).

JUNIORS TRAINING THIS SATURDAY

Youngsters who train in the under 11s, under 13s, and under 15s group at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Track should note that this Saturday morning’s training session has been cancelled due to a cross country fixture on the site being organised by the Club.

Youngsters are being invited to take part in the free-of-charge cross country event, with registration from 9.15am and the first race starting at 10am. Please come along and take part.

HILL TRAINING INVITE

Tim Durrant is inviting junior and senior club members to join him for a hill training session this Sunday at Castle Park, Frodsham, between 10am and 12 noon.

If you are wanting to take part just turn up and meet in the large car park at Castle Park.

EPSV TRACKSIDE CLUBHOUSE LATEST

The Club is in talks with the Council to try and construct a Clubhouse at the same time as toilets and changing rooms currently being built on the Ellesmere Port Sports Village site.

This move has been sparked after The Ursula Keyes Charitable Trust announced they were awarding the sum of £30,000 to the Club provided the total cost of the project is available from other sources.

The Council are expected to reveal the cost of a Clubhouse within the next few days and the Club Committee will then discuss the next steps at their next meeting on Tuesday night.

MEMORABLE AWARDS EVENING!

Feedback has been very positive about last Saturday night’s Club Awards Evening held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chester. Many thanks to Mark Duffey for co-ordinating the event and to everyone for supporting the memorable evening attended by our guest of honour, two-time Olympian, Rebecca Romero, who provided an inspirational speech. Photos from the evening taken by Neil Cartwright can be found at this link.

THIS WEEKEND

The Essar West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series Third Round will be held this Saturday at Ellesmere Port Sports Village (10am start).

The Manchester Area Cross Country League will be held at Kenworthy Woods this Saturday.

A Sale Harriers Indoor Open Track and Field Meeting will be held on Sunday at Sportcity, Manchester (10am start).

And the Liverpool and District Cross Country Championships will be held this Sunday at Clarke Gardens, Allerton, Liverpool.

Best wishes to all our athletes and officials.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

Members and parents are reminded to look at the following links for updates about any Club training sessions being cancelled due to adverse weather conditions:

FACEBOOK: West Cheshire AC, West Cheshire AC Running Running, west cheshire ac jnr to u20 middle distance group

WEBSITE: www.westcheshireac.co.uk

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/westcheshireac

SUPPORT NEEDED FOR SCHOOLS FIXTURES

The Club has been asked to help out at the Ellesmere Port and Neston Primary Schools Sportshall Athletics Competition, at EPSV on Thursday, February 14, (11am set up for Competition start at 12-3pm).

And help is needed at the Chester Primary Schools Cross Country Championships on Friday, March 15, (1pm set up for 4pm start. If you can help at any of the events please contact Dennis at: [email protected]

NORTHERN ROAD RELAYS INVITE

Ellie Robinson is co-ordinating Club entries for this year’s North of England 12 and 6 Stage Road Relays being held at Birkenhead Park on March 24.

The Club needs 12 for a men’s team (12 noon start), and 6 for a ladies team (12.15pm start). The legs are a mixture of short and long legs, from 4k up to 8k.

There will also be 5k races for Under 15s and Under U17s for individual and team championship races commencing at 11am with registration from 9.30am. Anyone interested in competing should let Ellie know ASAP.

ROAD RUNNING ROAD SHOW

England Athletics is hosting a series of events for club runners, coaches, leaders and club officers to find out more about England Athletics’ work with road running-based clubs and share your own thoughts and ideas with senior members of England Athletics staff. One of the road shows will be held at Crown Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport, L24 8QD, on Monday, February 11, at Crown Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport, L24 8QD. More details here.

REGIONAL COACHING INVITE

On Sunday March 3, England Athletics will be holding Regional Technical Days with athletes able to attend for sessions focussed on speed, endurance, jumps or throws. The day is for athletes of all abilities, aged between 11 and 18, and their coaches. Further details can be found here

OPPORTUNITY TO TASTE JOB OF AN ATHLETICS OFFICIAL

England Athletics are launching a new project aimed at giving people first-hand experience officiating at one of their National Championship events. The project is open to anyone who is interested in officiating, and would like to give it a try, shadowing an experienced official at an EA championship event in a variety of disciplines and events. Further details can be found here.

ESSAR CHESTER SPRING FIVE RACE ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Entries are now being accepted for this year’s Essar Chester Spring Five Miles Road Race being held from Cheshire Sports Club, Upton, Chester, being held on Wednesday, 10th April. Details here.

OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAIN AS AN ATHLETICS ANNOUNCER

Are you an Athletics fan thinking of embarking on a career in Media or journalism? Do you sometimes listen to the PA announcers at track and road events and think “I could do that”? Are you a club member looking to enhance and widen your relationship with the sport? Then look at this link.

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

All parents of youngsters attending track training sessions are reminded to collect their sons and daughters from the track – not from the car park. The Club wants to ensure everyone stays safe and that every youngster safely leaves every track training session.

CLUB KIT

Anyone wanting to purchase club vests (£17) and/or hoodies (£12) is reminded that parents Vikki Brett and Joanne Lark will sell club kit at the EPSV Track Office AFTER Tuesday night training sessions.

Payment can be made by cash or by cheque (made payable to West Cheshire AC).

URGENT HELP NEEDED

The Club needs urgent help, support, and assistance from parents during Tuesday evening training sessions at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Track (6.30pm-8pm).

The club currently has a waiting list for under 11s, and this situation can only be resolved by asking parents to volunteer on a rota basis at Tuesday night training sessions.

PARENTS who can help should contact Dennis Wall on 07968643038 or email: [email protected]

INVITE TO OBTAIN TRACK AND FIELD CERTIFICATE

All Club members are being invited to support our club by completing the Track & Field Online Management Course to help West Cheshire AC look after the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Track. Further details can be found here.

PHYSIO SUPPORT

Club member Heather McLintock is a qualified physiotherapist and offers substantial discounted prices for West Cheshire AC members on production of their membership card. Heather can be contacted on 01244 381350 or 07885 462487.

WEEKLY PRESS REPORT

This week’s press report is at this link.

FIXTURES

Saturday, February 9: Essar West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Races, at Ellesmere Port Sports Village (Registration from 9.15am, Start at 10am)

Saturday, February 9: Manchester Area Cross Country League, Kenworthy Woods, Wythenshawe, (12 noon)

Saturday and Sunday, February 9 and 10: British Indoor Track and Field Championships (Birmingham)

Sunday, February 10: Sale Harriers Indoor Open Track and Field Meeting will be held on Sunday at Sportcity, Manchester (10am start)

Sunday, February 10: Liverpool and District Cross Country Championships, at Clarke Gardens, Allerton, Liverpool, (11am start)

Sunday, February 10: Nick Beer 10k Road Race, Llandudno, (12 noon start)

Thursday, February 14: Ellesmere Port and Neston Primary Schools Sportshall Athletics Competition, at EPSV (12-3pm)

Saturday, February 16: Parbold Hill Race, (2pm)

Saturday, February 16: Muller Indoor Grand Prix Athletics Meeting (Birmingham)

Sunday, February 17: Sale Harriers Indoor Open Meeting, Sportcity, Manchester (10am)

Sunday, February 17: Village Bakery Half Marathon, Wrexham (11am)

Saturday, February 23: English National Cross Country Championships, Leeds (11am)

Saturday, February 23: Welsh National Cross Country Championships, Llanelli

Saturday, February 23: Rhyl 10 miles Road Race (10am)

Sunday, February 24: England Indoor Track & Field Championships, (Sheffield)