Press Report: Johnson and Lark Fly to National Silver

JESSICA LARK and Mia Johnson both pocketed silver medals at the weekend.

The West Cheshire Athletic Club pair impressed at the England Athletics Indoor Track and Field Championships held in Sheffield.

Jessica clocked 2:08.52 for second spot in the under 20 women’s 800m having won her qualifying heat in a time of 2:12.95.

And Mia posted a new personal best and new under 15 girls 200m indoor club record of 25.37 seconds to secured second position in the final after winning her first round heat with 25.61, and producing 25.41 for victory in her semi-final.

Alba March posted 8.09 seconds in her under 17 women’s 60m heat, and Jacob Gardner clocked a new under 17 men’s 200m personal best of 23.41 seconds.

Beth Manson clocked 43.75 seconds in her under 17 women’s 300m, while Maya Jennings posted 43.04 seconds in her under 15 girls 300m.

Lauren Higgins rounded the under 15 girls 800m in a time of 2:32.62, while Nathan Brassington negotiated the under 20 men’s 60m hurdles in a new personal best of 8.67 seconds, and Ruby Billington cleared 1-46m in the under 17 women’s high jump.

POPPY McKENNA, Nia Manson, Rose Sheppard, Florence Hain, and Heidi Wetherall combined to earn West Cheshire AC team gold medals in the under 13 girls age group at the final round of the North Wales Cross Country League.

Poppy finished in third spot at the Marches School, Oswestry, ahead of Nia (fourth), Rose (eighth), Florence (10th), and Heidi (11th).

Niall Betteridge (fifth) and Jack Arnold (eighth) rounded the under 11 boys race, while Saskia Keresturova delivered third spot and Isla Lambert sixth position in the under 11 girls event.

CLAIRE HARRIS won the over-35 women’s overall individual title after securing fifth spot in the senior women’s race at Oswestry, supported by Anest Muller (30th), Ellie Robinson (45th), Joy Hickman (76th), and Alex Duffey (108th), to earn West Cheshire AC second team spot on the day and overall in Division Two to win promotion to Division One next season. 

Jeff Gifford secured second place overall in his over-60 age category after completing Saturday’s race in 67th position alongside Paul Morrison (41st).

ANNA WOOLGAR finished fourth in her over-50 women’s age group at Kenworthy Woods in Saturday’s Manchester Area Cross Country League.

Emma Nutt finished 10th senior lady, while Harriet Beattie rounded the under 15 girls race in 14th spot, Abby Gamble finished 16th in the under 11 girls race, and Noah Woolgar posted 27th position in the under 17 men’s race.

FAVOUR AKPAN improved her indoor triple jump record by 49cms to 11.85m at the Sheffield Steel Cup Indoor Meeting, where Sam Oliver won his 3k race in 9:15.08.

FIXTURES this weekend include the British Universities and Colleges Indoor Championships in Sheffield on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the Manchester Indoor Open Meeting at SportCity on Sunday.

ENTRIES are now being accepted for the Chester Spring Five Miles Road Race being organised by West Cheshire AC on Wednesday, April 9. The online entry link is: wcac.niftyentries.com

THE English National Cross Country Championships, will be held at Parliament Hill, London, on Saturday, February 22; the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships will be held at Loughborough, on Saturday, March 8; and the English Schools Cross Country Championships will be held in West Sussex on Saturday, March 15.

West Cheshire AC will help organise the Chester Primary Schools Cross Country Championships at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Monday, March 24, and the Cheshire v Merseyside Year Seven Schools Cross Country Match at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Wednesday, April 2.

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. 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.

DATES and venues for this season’s Borders Road Running League are: 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 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