Press Report: Sophie and Carys Help Cheshire to Gold
CARYS ROBERTS and Sophie Grainger proved class acts at the English Schools Cross Country Championships.
The West Cheshire Athletic Club pair braved wet, blustery, and muddy conditions on a hilly course at Temple Newsam, Leeds, to help earn Cheshire a team victory.
Roberts posted 11 minutes 13 seconds for 32nd spot and Grainger was 43rd in 11:17 in the 3km junior girls race alongside county team mates Holly Weedall (fourth in 10:41), Orla Gregory (50th in 11:21), Ellie Bushill (60th in 11:26), Ellie Hudson (83rd in 11:32), Grace Roberts (131st in 11:49), and Harriet Bain (206th in 12:09).
Jamie Richardson, of West Cheshire AC, was first home for Cheshire’s junior boys with a time of 14:25 for 28th spot in the 343-strong field who completed 4.1km, backed up by Jake Wilson (47th in 14:33), Ben Hamilton Ryan (82nd in 14:48), Dylan Carney (103rd in 14:55), Erik Marshall (138th in 15:08), Patrick Griffith (146th in 15:10), James Knockton (228th in 15:39), and Philip Goodfellow (262nd in 15:49) to earn Cheshire eighth team position.
Sion Roberts of West Cheshire AC was 60th with 23:30 in the 6.7km senior boys race, ahead of club mate Jac Goodall (264th in 26:18) as Cheshire finished 10th in the team event which featured Joseph Buckley (35th in 23:03), Thomas Wood (72nd in 23:39), John Humphries (83rd in 23:45), Ben Lee (100th in 24:05), Ben Webb (202nd in 25:16), and Aaron Doyle (216th in 25:30).
Issy Clarke of West Cheshire AC posted 17:13 for 101st spot in the 4.1km senior girls race alongside club mates Beth McMahon (282nd in 19:40) and Lily Moorhouse (291st in 19:55) and county team mates Holly Smith (12th in 15:41), Emily Lowery (43rd in 16:15), Stephanie Moss (62nd in 16:34), Ellie Grinnell (132nd in 17:39), and Lucy Smith (221st in 18:31), to help earn Cheshire 10th team spot.
West Cheshire AC’s Ella Dimbylow posted 15:34 for 187th spot in the 3.71km intermediate girls race to help earn Cheshire ninth team position alongside Lara Crawford (fifth in 13:47), Sian Heslop (seventh in 13:50), Eden O’Dea (90th in 14:54), Imogen Owen (99th in 14:58), Jess Connolly (156th in 15:20), Faye Conboy (290th in 16:29), and Anoushka Brooks (323rd in 17:20), while West Cheshire AC’s Lucia Pyne, representing Merseyside, finished 165th in 15:23.
KEELY SMITH (29th over-35 lady in 1:41:26), Claire Williams (47th over-45 lady in 1:48:06), Clare Mallon (59th over-45 lady in (1:49:44) and Sarah Hibbert (77th over 50 lady in 2:00:25) completed the Lisbon Half Marathon in Portugal.
CLAIRE BENNETTE represented West Cheshire AC at the Wigan 10 miles Road Race and clocked 1:29:14.
HEATHER McLINTOCK ran in West Cheshire AC colours at the Wrexham 20 Miles Road Race and posted 2:45:12, while club mate Katharine Harvey clocked 2:22:35 in the Wrexham Half Marathon.
ETHAN ACKROYD of West Cheshire AC was fourth home for North Wales under 20 men’s team with a time of 33:59 at Loughborough in the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships.
KING’S SCHOOL, Chester, won the Chester Primary Schools Cross Country Team Championships hosted by West Cheshire AC at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.
FIXTURES this weekend include the West Cheshire AC Track and Field Trials at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday (10am start), the Northern Athletics Road Relay Championships at Birkenhead Park on Sunday (11am start), the North West Regional Sportshall Athletics Championships at SportCity, Manchester, on Sunday (12.30pm start), and Wilmslow Half Marathon on Sunday.
West Cheshire AC will host the Cheshire v Merseyside Year Seven Schools Cross Country Match at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Wednesday, March 27, and the second part of the West Cheshire AC Track and Field Trials take place at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Thursday, March 28, (6pm start).
