Press Report: National Medal for Mia
by Dennis Wall
MIA JOHNSON medalled at the England Athletics Indoor Age Group Track and Field Championships in Sheffield.
The West Cheshire Athletic Club 14 year old sprinter was the youngest athlete in the under 17 women’s 200m and pocketed a bronze medal with a time of 24.78 seconds.
Mia had celebrated victory with a time of 24.91 seconds in her heat and then posted a new indoor personal best time of 24.63 seconds in her semi-final.
And Mia added a new under 17 women’s 60m indoor club record of 7.81 seconds in her heat to qualify for the semi-final where she equalled her personal best.
Holly Bosworth and Amelia Snowden provided support in Sheffield, with Holly clocking a new under 20 women’s indoor 200m personal best of 24.97 seconds in the semi-final after posting 25.17 in her heat, while Amelia achieved a new personal best of 42.31 seconds in her under 15 girls 300m heat and then achieved fifth spot in the final with 42.68 seconds.
SIDNEY SHORROCK represented West Cheshire at the England Athletics Winter Long Throws Competition at Leigh and celebrated a gold medal with a new personal best of 43.59m in the discus to move to the top of the UK age group ranking list.
KEELY SMITH improved her over-40 women’s double time of 2:50:22 with a 2:48:41 (2:48:49 gun) at the Murcia Marathon.
EMMA HOLMES and Niamh Le’Gall have broken West Cheshire indoor club records in the United States.
Emma clocked 55.18 seconds for 400m and 24.30 seconds for 200m at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas, faster than her previous under 20 club best of 54.24 seconds set in Brussels at the 2024 International Flanders Athletic meet.
Niamh achieved new indoor records in the under 20 women’s 60m (7.66 seconds) and 200m (24.27 seconds) at Norman, representing East Texas.
JACK ARNOLD was crowned Cheshire Schools Cross Country Championship year seven boys title winner at Knights Grange, Winsford, on Saturday.
Jack won the 2km race ahead of Chester team mates George Haskey (10th), Lucas Grimshaw (13th), Ruben Hornby (17th), and Kian Hasledone (19th) who will represent Cheshire against Merseyside next month at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.
Lewis Morris (Ellesmere Port and Halton) finished second in the Senior Boys 6km race ahead of Chester’s Scott Wells (sixth), Ellesmere Port and Halton’s William Vose (seventh), and Chester’s Thomas Wyrko (10th).
Chester duo Lucas Sawyer and Lewis Dutton (second and third respectively) completed the Junior Boys 3.5km race, backed up by Leon Betteridge (fifth), George Bright (ninth), Finley Stewart (10th), Caleb Tinson (12th), and Sam Scott (16th).
Ellesmere Port and Halton duo Nancy Farmer and Bailey Hughes finished second and third respectively in the Senior Girls 4km race.
Chester’s Nia Manson achieved third position in the Junior Girls 3.5km race, ahead od Ellesmere Port and Halton’s Isla Salisbury (seventh), Chester’s Pioppy McKenna (eighth), Margaux Schmidlin (17th), Ellesmere Port and Halton’s Heidi Wetherall (19th), and Chester duo Freya Winward (20th), and Flori Hain (23rd).
Sophie Mulcaster from Chester secured third spot in the Intermediate Girls 4km race, supported by Emilia Pyper (eighth).
Jasmine Rogan (Halton and Ellesmere Port) finished fourth in the year seven girls 2km race ahead of Chester’s Verity Holland (eighth), Ellesmere Port and Halton’s Belle Royle (11th), Chester’s Saskia Keresturova (14th), Emilia Hughes (16th), and Alice Roberts-Page (18th) who will compete for Cheshire against Merseyside next month.
Tom Rimmer from Chester secured ninth spot in the Intermediate Boys 5km race, ahead of team mate Max Henderson (11th), Ellesmere Port and Halton’s Joe Davies (13th), and Chester duo Dylan Gledhill (20th) and Harry Simcock (24th).
JACOB GARDNER made his first competitive performance for 10 months after an injury at the Sale Harriers Indoor Meeting in Manchester and ran a new 60m personal best of 7.50 seconds to slice 0.03 off his previous best, and ran 23.42 for the 200m which is only 0.01 outside his personal best.
He was joined at the fixture by Erin Barnard who clocked new season’s bests of 8.62 in the 60m and 28.02 in the 200m.
Wycombe King posted 7.87 in the 60m and 25.51 in the 200m, and Alba March broke eight seconds for the first time in the 60m with a new personal best of 7.90 seconds.
FIXTURES this weekend include the North Wales Cross Country League at The Marches School, Oswestry, on Saturday, the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at Birmingham on Saturday and Sunday), and the British Universities and Colleges Indoor Championships at Sheffield, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
ENTRIES have opened for the Chester Spring Five Milers Road Race being organised by West Cheshire AC on Wednesday, April 15. The entry link is: https://wcac.niftyentries.com/Chester-Spring-5123
FIXTURES for this seasonβs Borders Road Running League are: March 1, Birkenhead Park; April 19, Delamere Forest; May 6 (to be confirmed), Prestatyn, Relays.
THIS winter’s Sale Harriers Manchester Indoor Track and Field Open Meetings will be held at the Regional Athletics Centre, Sportcity, Manchester. M11 4FF, on the following Sundays, February 22; and March 15. The online entry link is: https://www.saleharriersmanchester.com/winter-indoor-series/
ENGLAND ATHLETICS have announced the date and details for the 2026 Indoor Championships:
March 7-8: England Age Group Combined Events and Junior Para Championships. Entries are open on Roster, closing on February 22.
FURTHER details about West Cheshire Athletic Club can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk
