Press Report: 14 Earn County Honours

by Dennis Wall

FOURTEEN West Cheshire Athletic Club members represented their county in Nottingham on Saturday.

Poppy McKenna, Nia Manson, Amelia Snowden, Claire Harris, Emma Nutt, Leon Betteridge, Cosette Wearden, Hayley Holland, Harriet Beattie, Eleanor Wheeler, Emilia Pyper, Dylan Gledhill, Scott Wells and Ben Newall all teamed up for Cheshire at Wollaton Park for the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships.

Poppy (53rd), Nia (61st) and Amelia (128th) combined for the Cheshire under 13 girls team, while Claire (116th) and Emma (203rd) represented the senior ladies.

Leon rounded the under 13 boys race in 183rd spot, while Cosette achieved 76th place in the under 17 women’s event alongside Hayley (250th).

Harriet (227th) and Eleanor (257th) combined in the under 15 women’s race, while Dylan finished 272nd in the under 15 boys event, and Scott (196th) and Ben (226th) completed the under 17 men’s race.

LEWIS MORRIS and Sam Oliver celebrated success at Sunday’s Chester 10k Road Race which attracted a record 7,000 entries.

Lewis clocked 33 minutes 54 seconds for first position in his under 17 age group and 10th place in the overall race, while Sam won his under 20 age group category in a time of 34:45 and was 16th in the race.

Grant Davies was West Cheshire AC’s first finisher, posting 33:48 for eighth spot in the race and second place in his M20-34 age group.

Ben Newall was second in his under 17 age group with 35:49, while Steve Fernyhough finished third in his over-40 age group and 17th in the race with a time of 34:45.

Matthew Douglass clocked 34:04 for fifth place in his M20-34 age group and 11th spot in the race, while Carys Manson was fifth in her under 20 age group in 49:43.

Jon Park secured sixth spot in his over-40 age group, and Carolyn Pollard was sixth in her over-40 age category.

Other West Cheshire AC finishers behind overall winner Matthew Clowes (Wrexham AAC) who clocked 31:03, and first lady Anna Bracegirdle (Salford Harriers) who posted a new women’s course record of 33:50, included Luke Ellis (42:23), Jake Hidden Deveson (43:39), Steve Hillier (43:53), Peter Kerestur (46:25), Andrew Barratt (46:28), Dave Barratt (47:02), Stephen Ball (46:56), David Morris (47:29), Phil Gent (49:30), Gerald Brown (52:49), Dan Hooker (50:37), Andy Gore (50:30), Kimberly Morris (56:41), and Alex Simmonds (58:35).

FIVE West Cheshire AC members impressed at Sunday’s Sale Harriers Indoor Open Track and Field Meeting.

Jacob Gardner ran 7.53 seconds to slice 0.12 off his previous 60m best, while Alba March broke her 60m best by 0.07 after running 8.01 seconds.

Louis Grimes bettered his 300m best by 0.87 to clock 41.09 seconds, while Alan Littler ran 40.67 seconds for his 300m which is the fastest he has run indoors for 11 years!

And Erin Barnard smashed her 300m best to clock 45.08, bettering her outdoor time of 46.1 and her previous indoor best of 47.12.

FIXTURES this weekend include the English Schools Cross Country Championships at Ardingly, West Sussex, on Saturday; the Chester Ultras 50 miles Road Race at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, on Saturday; the England Athletics Indoor International, at Sheffield, on Sunday; and the Borders Road Running League, at Capenhurst, 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

ENTRIES close on March 16 for the Sale Harriers Over The Bales Races for Under 9s, Under 11s, and Under 13s, at Crossford Bridge, Sale, Manchester, being held on Sunday, March 23.

The online entry form link is: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScigk3DfHKIXl3JVBGwNxWcHqehb3xQZXGyhx1_PlILkn-V-w/viewform

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 Cheshire County Schools Sportshall Athletics Finals, at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, on Monday, March 17.

ONLINE entries are now being accepted for the Cheshire Track and Field Championships will be held at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11.

The Championships will have full electronic timing and photo-finish for track events and EDM for field events. The Roster competition management system will be used, providing live start lists and results via the Roster App.

As usual, medals will be awarded for the full programme of track and field events for all age groups from under 13s to seniors, together with a small number of events for the Under-11 age group.

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 Capenhurst; April 6 at Buckley Runners; May 7 at Prestatyn (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.
FURTHER details about West Cheshire Athletic Club can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk