Press Report: Jess Sets New Best in Northern Test
by Dennis Wall
JESSICA LARK was crowned Northern Champion in Sheffield at the weekend.
The talented runner clocked a new Northern Indoor under 20 women’s 800m Championship best performance, personal best, and West Cheshire AC record of two minutes 6.21 seconds.
Jessica finished 11 seconds clear of her nearest rival in the final at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport Arena to produce a very impressive start to her season.
Jessica was joined on the podium by West Cheshire AC’s Ruby Billington and Niamh Le’Gall.
Ruby cleared 1-50m to achieve a bronze medal in the under 17 women’s high jump, and Niamh powered her way to a bronze medal in the under 20 women’s 200m final with a new personal best time of 25.96 seconds, ahead of sixth-placed club mate Holly Bosworth who clocked a new indoor personal best of 26.60 seconds in her first-ever Northern final.
Lewis Morris rounded the under 20 men’s 3,000m final in a new personal best time of 9:41.24, and Cosette Wearden rounded the under 20 women’s 3,000m final in a time of 10:57.02 for fifth spot.
Mia Johnson, competing in her first year in the under 17 women’s age group, reached the 300m final and finished fifth with a time of 44.74 seconds.
Beth Manson produced new under 17 women’s 200m (26.99 seconds) and 300m (43,04 seconds) personal bests and reached both semi-finals.
Eleanor Wheeler achieved a new under 17 women’s 800m personal best time of 2:30.43 and Emilia Pyper clocked a new season’s best time of 2:36.91.
LYDIA WALKER celebrated a silver medal with a time of 8.47 seconds in the under 17 women’s 60m final at the North Wales Regional Indoor Track and Field Championships held at Deeside.
FIXTURES this weekend include the West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series final round at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday (10am start); the England Athletics Senior and Under 20 Indoor Combined Events Championships in Sheffield on Saturday and Sunday; and the Helsby Four Villages Half Marathon on Sunday (10.30am start).
THE Northern Cross Country Championships, will be held at Tatton Park, on Saturday, January 25; and the English National Cross Country Championships, will be held at Parliament Hill, London, on Saturday, February 22. West Cheshire AC wanting to compete should email Dave Alexander with their name, date of birth and the name of the championship(s) they want to run in at: [email protected]
THE Cheshire Schools Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, February 1, at Knights Grange, Winsford.
WEST CHESHIRE AC coaches will be delivering Sportshall Athletics in the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Sportshall between 6-8pm this Friday, with the aim of helping youngsters prepare for the Schools Sportshall Athletics fixtures this month. Please come along and support the sessions.
WEST CHESHIRE AC will host the first-ever Cheshire Grand Prix Track and Field Meeting on Saturday, April 26, at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Track.
The Cheshire Grand Prix will replace the Cheshire Track and Field League and will comprise of four fixtures in total being held at EPSV, Macclesfield, and Warrington.
ENTRIES are now being accepted for the Northern Under 15 and Under 13 Indoor Track and Field Championships taking place at Sheffield on February 2. The online entry link is: northernathletics.co.uk/events/
DATES and venues for this season’s Borders Road Running League are: January 26 at Deestriders; March 16 at Ellesmere Port; April 6 at Buckley Runners; May 7 at either Prestatyn, Chester Tri, or West Cheshire (Presentation Evening).
All races are on Sundays and start at 11am except for the final race which is on a Wednesday evening with a 7pm start and is a relay event.
THIS winter’s Sale Harriers Manchester Indoor Open Meetings will be held at the Regional Athletics Centre, Sportcity, Manchester. M11 4FF, on the following Sundays, February 2; February 16; and March 9. The online entry link is: https://www.saleharriersmanchester.com/index.php/events-fixtures/winter-indoor-series
FURTHER details about West Cheshire Athletic Club can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk