WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club secured a medal hat-trick at the Northern Indoor Track and Field Championships. Katie Clarke, George Hyde and Ethan Milligan produced impressive podium performances at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport Arena.

Clarke secured an under 20 ladies gold medal in her first-ever competitive indoor appearance after clocking 10 minutes 52.52 seconds, just outside her outdoor personal best time.

Hyde celebrated an emphatic under 17 men’s shot put victory, hitting 15.49m to finish more than two metres clear of his nearest rival.

And Milligan cleared 1-85m for a silver medal in the under 20 men’s high jump competition.

Other West Cheshire members in action included Sophie Percival (10.96m in the women’s shot put), Ali Burkett (65.25 seconds in her women’s 400m heat), and Alan Littler (57.84 seconds in his men’s 400m heat).

ANEST MULLER, Ellie Robinson and Pam Ackroyd combined to earn West Cheshire AC ladies third team position at the latest round of the North Wales Cross Country League.

Muller posted 25:41 for ninth place at Baschurch, near Shrewsbury, ahead of Robinson (25th in 27:54), and Ackroyd (44th in 30:25), while Dave Alexander clocked 33:30 for 13th spot in the men’s race ahead of Andrew Clague (45th in 37:15).

JAC GOODALL of West Cheshire AC clocked 22:01 for 15th spot at the latest round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League held at the University Playing Fields.

IAN GLOYNE-PHILLIPS headed West Cheshire AC’s contingent home at Helsby’s Essar Four Villages Half Marathon.

Gloyne-Phillips rounded the 13.1 miles course in a new personal best time of 81 minutes 49 seconds, ahead of Dan Mitchell (season’s best of 85:50), Andrew Clague (season’s best of 86:38), and Richard Hayes (season’s best of 87:02).

Chris Palmer achieved a new personal best of 88:02, ahead of Everest adventurer Alex Staniforth who posted a seasons best of 88:09, Neil Webster (personal best of 90:21), Wullie McGarrell (season’s best of 90:32), Luke Ellis (season’s best of 90:51), Joe Foy (season’s best of 90:58), Andy Carter (season’s best of 91:53), Andy Dawe (season’s best of 91:58), and Rob Freeman (season’s best of 94:22).

Keely Smith was West Cheshire AC’s first lady home, posting a season’s best of 98:45, ahead of Rob Boggild (personal best of 1:41:03), Richard Hunt (personal best of 1:45:09), Lisa Davies (season’s best of 1:45:53), Clare Mallon (season’s best of 1:49:23), Peter Smith (season’s best of 1:53:06), Angela Tegg (personal best of 1:53:12), Julian Tegg (season’s best of 1:53:14), Brian Beattie (season’s best of 1:57:46), and Sarah Hughes (season’s best of 2:07:53).

OLIVIA MONTEZ-BROWN has started the year on a winning note. The West Cheshire Athletic Club multi-eventer who is a student at Augustana University in America, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

Montez-Brown broke the university record in the long jump at the MSU Alumni Open Meeting and won the 60m hurdles with a new personal best time of 8.76 seconds, as well as finishing fifth in the high jump.

The talented heptathlete from Ellesmere Port is now preparing to compete this weekend at the Jim Emmerich Invitational Meeting.

FIXTURES this weekend include the North West Sportshall Athletics League Finals at Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes on Sunday (10am start for under 11s, and 2pm start for under 13s and under 15s), and the latest round of the Borders Road Running League at Deeside College, Connah’s Quay, on Sunday (11am start).

ENTRIES are now being accepted for the Essar Chester Spring Five Miles Road Race being organised by West Cheshire AC on Wednesday, April 12. Further details can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club duo Carys Roberts and Dave Alexander grabbed title victories at the Cheshire County Cross Country Championships.

Roberts celebrated success in the under 11 girls’ race at Birchwood Forest Park, Warrington, with a time of nine minutes 25 seconds, and was supported by Georgina Duffey (ninth in 10:11) and Jessica Lark (24th in 11:06) to earn team bronze medals, backed up by Martha Willetts, who clocked 11:22.

Alexander won the over-45 men’s crown after completing the challenging course in a time of 42 minutes 28 seconds, and he spearheaded the West Cheshire veteran men to team silver medals thanks to Richard Hayes (eighth in 45:26), Andrew Clague (10th in 48:21), and John Parlevliet (15th in 49:57), backed up by Philip Woodley (39th in 50:53), and Peter Smith (92nd in 62:48).

Lucia Pyne (12:31), Imogen Pughe (12:46), and Sophie Grainger (13:03) teamed up to earn West Cheshire AC silver medals in the under 13 girls’ race, backed up by Jodi Bemand (14:25), Lily Harwood (14:33), Abigail Cartwright (14:39), and Grace Scott (16:57).

Sisters Katie and Issy Clarke secured bronze medals in their under 20 and under 17 women’s events, with Katie clocking 27:41, and Issy posting 18:04, ahead of Beth McMahon (21:25).

Ethan Greenland (24:00), Christy Mageean (24:56), and Jac Goodall (25:17) earned under 17 men’s team bronze medals and they were backed up by Dave Dentith (27:05), Tristan McFarlane (27:07), Matthew McDonnell (27:22), Patrick Tait (29:27), and Adam Carlile (29:47).

Jamie Richardson (11:29), William Wright (11:35), and Henry Robinson (11:38) combined for fourth team position in the under 13 boys’ race, supported by Sammy Hollins (11:52).

Fergus Garland (9:15), Reece Munro (9:48), and Dan Willetts (10:05) teamed up to earn West Cheshire AC fourth position in the under 11 boys’ competition, ahead of Louis Tegg (10:05), Leo Green (10:22), Harley Shakespeare-Wetton (11:19), and James Hughes (11:38).

Sion Roberts clocked 16:49 for ninth spot in the under 15 boys’ race, ahead of Harvey Tegg (17:27), Matthew Douglass (17:53), Liam Farrell (19:12), Charlie Clarke (20:58), and Aaron Scott (22:08), as West Cheshire AC finished fifth team.

Ellie Robinson (24th in 42:41), Lisa Davies (33rd in 45:00), and Anne-Marie Tait (50th in 49:09) combined for 10th spot in the veteran women’s team competition.

Greg Jones rounded the under 20 men’s race in 39:44 for seventh spot, while Eve Duret finished the under 15 girls’ race in 17:03 for 15th position.

LAURA TURLEY of West Cheshire AC won the senior women’s 60m title with a new personal best time of 8.04 seconds at the North Wales Championships held at Deeside.

ABIGAIL PAWLETT posted under 15 girls’ 200m (26.97 seconds), 60m hurdles (9.48), and long jump (5.04m) season’s bests at the Manchester Indoor Open Meeting, where Ewan Bradley clocked a new under 17 men’s 60m hurdles personal best of 9.46 seconds.

The duo were joined at the event by Zac Barnsley who clocked 7.77 seconds in the under 20 men’s 60m, Jake Gibson who posted 8.16 seconds in the under 17 men’s 60m, Joseph Morrison who rounded the under 20 men’s 600m in 1:28.88, and Anna Crayston who long jumped 4.63m.

FIXTURES this weekend include the Manchester Area Cross-country League at Kenworthy Woods, Wythenshawe (12 noon start), and the North Wales Cross-country League (2pm start), at Baschurch, Shrewsbury, both on Saturday, and the Four Villages Half Marathon at Helsby on Sunday.

ENTRIES are now being accepted for the Essar Chester Spring 5 Five Miles Road Race being organised by West Cheshire AC on Wednesday, April 12. Further details can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk

See bottom of the Road Running page for listings of WCAC members’ best times over all road distances, and in parkruns, in 2016.

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club members are aiming to make 2017 a year to remember.

The Ellesmere Port Sports Village-based outfit is preparing for a second season in Division One of the North of England Track and Field League as well as summer campaigns in the Youth Development League Under 13/15 Premier Division and Under 17/20 North West League Division One.

Olivia Montez-Brown, Isobel Griffin Morris, and Sophie Percival will be hoping they can continue their impressive form after achieving high-ranking performances last year.

All-rounder Montez-Brown, who is studying at Augustana University in America, ended 2016 with a best heptathlon points score of 5,254 points, which secured eighth spot in the UK women’s heptathlon ranking list and second place on the UK under 23 women’s list.

Her performance was achieved at Braderton, USA, on May 27, and she also ended the year ranked 25th in the UK women’s long jump rankings after celebrating 5.91m at a meeting held at Sioux Falls, USA, on April 10.

Griffin Morris finished 2016 with the English Schools title and at the top of the UK under 17 women’s discus ranking list after hitting a mark of 46.48m at Wrexham’s Queensway Stadium on September 4 in a Cheshire League match, and she attained 12th spot in the UK senior women’s list.

Percival powered her way to fifth spot on the UK under 20 women’s javelin ranking list after nailing a winning throw of 42.08m while representing England at Cardiff in the Welsh International Meeting held on July 20, and she added 13th position on the under 20 women’s shot put list with a throw of 11.53m at Chelmsford.

George Hyde, who celebrated an English Schools intermediate boys’ shot put title last year at Gateshead, ended 2016 ranked third on the UK under 17 men’s ranking list with 15.23m.

Other West Cheshire members to achieve top-20 UK rankings included Emma Howe, who finished 2016 in second spot on the under 17 women’s javelin list with 41.11m, Abigail Pawlett who compiled 2,899 points to finish 2016 ranked seventh in the under 15 girls pentathlon list, James McMahon, who ended 2016 ranked 11th on the under 20 men’s decathlon list with 5,869 points, and Matthew Pagan who posted 48.85 seconds for 11th position on the under 17 men’s 400m list.

Ethan Milligan cleared 1.92m to secure 15th place on the UK under 17 men’s high jump ranking list, while Evie Tipping powered her way to 16th place on the UK under 15 girls hammer throwing list with 43.72m, and Ewan Bradley launched himself to 19th spot in the UK under 15 boys pole vault list with 3.05m.

LUCIA PYNE showed good form ahead of this Saturday’s Cheshire County AA Cross-country Championships being held at Birchwood Forest Park, near Warrington.

The youngster, who is one of more than 50 West Cheshire members entered for the annual fixture, clocked a new personal best time of 21 minutes 5 seconds to finish first lady at the Ellesmere Port 5k parkrun.

Pyne was joined at the Whitby Park-based event by Rob Freeman, who was fifth man in 21:35; Harvey Tegg who was seventh in 22:41; and Darren Shillington (21st in 26:30).

ETHAN GREENLAND of West Cheshire AC posted 18:29 for second spot at the Delamere 5k parkrun, ahead of club colleague Emma Howe (30:29).

FIXTURES this weekend include the Cheshire AA Cross-country Championships at Birchwood Forest Park, near Warrington, on Saturday, and the Manchester Indoor Open Track and Field Meeting at Sportcity, on Sunday (10.30am start).

The timetable of cross-country races at Birchwood is: 11.30am, under 11 boys and girls; 11.50am, under 13 boys and girls; 12.10pm, under 15 girls; 12.35pm, under 15 boys and under 17 ladies; 1pm, under 17 men and under 20 ladies; 1.40pm, under 20 men and senior ladies; 2.30pm, senior men.

Congratulations to winners Ellie and Mark, to women’s second and third-placers Anest and Kay, to men’s equal second-placers Andy and Andrew, and to all who took part. Results now available near the bottom of the Road Running page.

MATT JACKSON and Louise Webb celebrated success at the popular Essar Chester Round the Walls race.

Jackson, representing Liverpool Harriers, posted a winning time of 21 minutes 35 seconds after negotiating the multi-terrain 6km event hosted by West Cheshire Athletic Club, nearly one minute ahead of his nearest rivals.

And Webb, a member of Birmingham-based Birchfield Harriers, clocked 24:16 for victory in the women’s race, 39 seconds clear of second-placed Emily Kearney (Wirral AC), and Vale Royal AC’s Kate Titlow who was third in 25:20.

Jackson carved a decisive lead from the start of the race in front of the Chester racecourse grandstand and powered his way to the men’s title in the field of 493 finishers, ahead of runner-up, Leon Foster (Leeds City AC) in 22:43, and third-placed James Smith (Southampton AC) in 22:51.

The annual event attracted nearly 500 finishers, including six runners from America, one from Spain, one from Switzerland, and four finishers were competing on their birthday. Liverpool Harriers’ Andrew McQue was fourth in 23:05, ahead of Ian Wetherall, (Sale Harriers), who posted 23:08 for fifth spot, Ieuan Kearney (Wirral) in sixth place with 23:40, Helsby’s Colin Bishop, who was seventh in 23:43, Chester Tri’s Adrian Bellwood, eighth in 23:46, Wirral’s Arran Kearney, ninth in 23:50, and tenth-placed Simon Roberts in 23:53.

Deeside’s Ethan Ackroyd posted 24:32 for 20th position, just one place ahead of West Cheshire’s first three finishers Dan Mitchell in 24:41, Everest adventurer Alex Staniforth who clocked 24:56 for 28th spot, and Jac Goodall (29th in 25:11).

Ellesmere Port Running Club’s Nicola Whitfield Bird finished fourth lady in 26:08, ahead of Sarah Kearney (Wirral), fifth in 26:18, Wrexham’s Emma Crowe (sixth in 26:22), Pensby’s Lisa Grantham (seventh in 26:40), Helen Whitby of Vale Royal (eighth in 27:02), Wrecsam Tri’s Helen Davies (ninth in 27:20), and Wirral’s Aileen Kearney (10th in 28:11).

Host club, West Cheshire AC’s other finishers included Greg Jones (53rd in 26:54), first over-60 veteran Joe Joy in 27:32, Rob Freeman (third over 60 veteran in 28:14), Julian Tegg (100th in 29:43), Ian Ackroyd (121st in 30:27), Daniel Jeory (143rd in 31:06), Phil Howe (241st in 34:07), Brian Beattie (third over 70 veteran in 36:19), and Andrew Gore (445th in 43:28).

Well done to all who took part today – results are now available here.