Press Report: Club Crowns a Successful Year

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club has celebrated it’s annual awards presentation evening.

The purple and gold-vested outfit attracted 200 members, parents and friends to the successful event held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chester.

Record-breaking adventurer, ultra-endurance athlete and former West Cheshire AC member, Alex Staniforth, who has survived the two biggest disasters in Mount Everest history as a teenager, was the guest speaker.

Harriet Wheeler was named winner of the women’s cup, and Jamie Richardson was the winner of the men’s cup.

Nancy Farmer was presented with the Chris Goodwin Cup by John Goodwin, while the Manson Family won the Wright Trophy, and Eddie Gore was named Club Person of the Year.

Debra Bemand, Joy Hickman and Fiona Cook were presented with first, second and third-placed awards respectively for the women’s Endurance Points Competition, and Andy Carter, Andrew Clague and Michael Young were the top three men respectively in their Endurance Points Competition.

Poppy McKenna and Rosie Grimsditch won the under 11 girls awards, while Jack Arnold and Leo Ravenscroft were presented with the under 11 boys trophies.

Mia Johnson and Lauren Higgins collected the under 13 girls awards, and Dylan Gledhill and Aiden Hilton won the under 13 boys cups.

Macey Jones and Satine Wearden were recipients of the under 15 girls awards, and Evan Miller and Theo Shepherd collected the under 15 boys trophies.

Carys Manson and Kara Stoll won the under 17 ladies awards, while Nathan Brassington and Alfie Lane secured the under 17 men’s trophies.

Emma Holmes and Ruby Wisbey won the under 20 ladies awards, and Henry Robinson and Fraser Campbell collected the under 20 men’s cups.

Beth McMahon and Megan Kettle won the senior ladies awards, while Paul Morrison and Bradley Spurdens were the senior men’s winners.

Debra Bemand and Debra Erskine were the veteran ladies winners, and Wullie McGarrell and Andy Parker secured the veteran men’s awards.

EMMA HOLMES represented West Cheshire AC in Birmingham at the UK Indoor Athletics Track and Field Championships where she clocked a new 200m club record time of 24.38 seconds and was the youngest athlete in the semi-finals.

LINDSAY FISHER, Keely Smith and Wullie McGarrell all broke West Cheshire AC age group records at the weekend in the Village Bakery Half Marathon at Wrexham.

Lindsay sliced more than a minute off the women’s club and over-35 record with a time of one hour 18 minutes 58 seconds.

Keely Smith carved almost a minute off the over-40 women’s club record with a time of 1:20:50, and Wullie knocked 11 seconds off his over-55 record with a time of 1:21:32.

West Cheshire AC’s first finisher at Wrexham was Steve Fernyhough (1:16:12), and other purple and gold-vested finishers included Jon Park (1:19:01), Graham Wells (1:19:46), Rob Little (1:21:13), Isaac McKenna (1:23:29), Steve King (1:25:17), Ian Gloyne-Phillips (1:28:16), Mark Davies (1:28:41), Emma Nutt (1:32:27), Steve Roberts (1:33:50), Brian Cremin (1:37:29), Paul Cain (1:38:29), Andy Carter (1:39:51), Stephen Ball (1:46:39), Amy Mills (1:51:09), and Richard Hunt (2:02:20). 

ANGELA TEGG (sixth over 50 lady in 1:22:40) represented West Cheshire AC at the Parbold Hill Race.

MICHAEL YOUNG has been selected to represent England at the Anglo Celtic Plate 100km race taking place on March 24, at North Inches Park, Perth, Scotland.

ALAN MORRIS and Tim Palmer have been appointed Cheshire County Athletics Association Chairman and Officials Secretary respectively. 

FIXTURES this weekend include the English Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Weston Park, and the latest Borders Road Running League fixture takes place at Deeside College, Connah’s Quay on Sunday (10am start).

FORTHCOMING fixtures include the Chester Ultra 50 Miles Race from Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday, March 2; a North West Indoor Combined Events Open Meeting at Deeside College, Connah’s Quay on Sunday, March 3; the Chester Primary Schools Cross Country Championships at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, on Monday, March 4; the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Nottingham on Saturday, March 9; the Chester 10k Road Race on Sunday, March 10; a Manchester Indoor Open Track and Field meeting on Sunday, March 10; the Cheshire Primary and Secondary Schools Sportshall Finals at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Monday, March 11; the British Masters Cross Country Championships, at Rhug Estate, Corwen, on Saturday, March 16; the Borders Road Running League at Hoylake on Sunday, March 17; the Cheshire v Merseyside Year 7 Schools Cross Country Match at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Wednesday, March 20; the West Cheshire AC Spring Open Track and Field Meeting at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday, March 23; the Wilmslow Half Marathon on Sunday, March 24; and a North West Open Indoor Combined Events Meeting at Deeside College, Connah’s Quay on Sunday, March 24.

FURTHER details about West Cheshire Athletic Club can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk