Press Report: Youngsters do well at Schools; Seniors Storm Castles

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club youngsters scored top marks in the Cheshire and Merseyside Schools Track and Field Championships.

Imogen Pughe, Isla Shillington and Lara Battersby secured success at Bebington Oval in the Merseyside fixture to book their places at this Saturday’s Inter Counties Schools Mason Trophy match at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

While club mates Gabriel Mikoleizik, Isaac Millichip, Matthew Webb, Jack England, Ewan Bradley, Dylan Moore, Ruby Wisbey, Fatoumatta Bojang, Evie Tipping, and Beth McMahon all posted victories at Warrington in the Cheshire event.

Pughe grabbed a double success story in the junior girls 100m with a club record-equalling 12.4 seconds, and a 300m victory of 42.3 seconds.

Shillington powered her way to success in the junior girls hammer (34.22m) and discus with an English Schools standard distance of 27.64m.

And Battersby bagged a winning time of 11.9 seconds in the junior girls 75m hurdles, and a silver medal from the 300m with 43.4 seconds.

Other West Cheshire members in action at Bebington included Abigail Cartwright who achieved a new personal best of 9.08m in the intermediate girls triple jump; Uzezi Onomerike who clocked a new personal best of 25.0 seconds for third spot in the junior boys 200m; and Emma Ashcroft who secured fourth place in both the intermediate girls long jump and 100m.

Mikoleizik won the junior boys 100m title with 12.3 seconds at Warrington in the Cheshire Championships, while Millichip hit a winning mark of 24.64m in the junior boys hammer.

Webb rounded the intermediate boys 400m for a winning time of 52.1 seconds, and England nailed a winning throw of 37.63m for victory in the intermediate boys hammer.

Bradley clocked 15.1 seconds for success in the senior boys 110m hurdles, whie Moore scored victory in the senior boys long jump with a new personal best of 5.44m, and Wisbey won the junior girls long jump with 4.87m.

Bojang posted 43.2 seconds for victory in the junior girls 300m, while Tippiing powered her way to an English Schools standard throw of 50.65m in the intermediate girls hammer, and McMahon won the senior girls 400m in 65.0 seconds.

Other local pupils to taste success included Zak Kempster Downe, Josh MacAndrew, Jadon Allen, Eden O’Dea, Emily Misantoni, and Abigail Pawlett.

Kempster Downe clocked 2:09.7 in the junior boys 800m ahead of Sam Hollins (2:14.8) and Nathan Broomfield (2:17.0) who were third and fourth respectively.

MacAndrew won the junior boys shot (10.92m), while Allen clocked 11.5 seconds in the intermediate boys 100m, O’Dea clocked a new championship best performance of 10:17.2 in the intermediate girls 3,000m, Misantoni won the intermedaite girls 300m hurdles in 47.0 seconds, and Pawlett won the intermediate girls long jump title with 5.43m.

West Cheshire members to register podium places included Fergus Garland (41.2 seconds for second spot in the junior boys 300m); Jamie Richardson (4:26.2 for second position in the junior boys 1500m); Josh Ford (23.3 seconds for second place in the senior boys 200m); Paul Morrison (4:31.8 for third spot in the senior boys 1500m); Lauren Williams (45.9 seconds for third place in the junior girls 300m); Carys Roberts (4:54.1 for third place in the junior girls 1500m); Elizabeth Jones (1-25m for third place in the junior girls high jump); Grace Scott (30.38m) and Emma Powell (22.82m) for second and third places in the junior girls hammer); Ella Dimbylow (2:27.4 for second spot in the intermediate girls 800m); and Lily Moorhouse (71.1 seconds for second spot in the senior girls 400m and 3:00.9 for second place in the 800m).

WEST CHESHIRE AC finished 33rd team, and 28th open team out of 66 taking part in the Welsh Castles Road Relay between Caernarfon and Cardiff with a time of 24 hours 53 minutes 48 seconds.

Claire Harris, Ellie Robinson, Dan Thwaites, Joe Foy, Kerry Riley, Kay Hayes, Julian Tegg, Mark Gallagher, Cathryn Whalley, Andrew Clague, Richard Hayes, Eloise Eccles, Steve Fernyhough, Tom Booth, Tony Woodall, Ethan Ackroyd, Ian Ackroyd, Andy Carter Karen Waugh, and Danny Paddock combined during the 20 stage two-day event.

RICHARD SMITHDALE represented West Cheshire AC in the Wexford Marathon in Ireland and posted 3.57.

FIXTURES this weekend include Mason Trophy Inter Counties Schools Championships on Saturday at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, and the second round of the Northern Track and Field League at Wigan on Sunday.