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Sports Hall
League, Widnes, 26 January
The results from the
match are not yet available although it is understood we had a record turn out
for the club, there were victories for Laura Carroll (Vertical Jump) and Vicky
Johnson (Shot Putt) while the under 11 girls were joint second. All the
results will be published as soon as they become available. Thanks to Julia
Hayes who acted as team manager and all helpers who turned up. Results
Northern
Championships, Heaton Park, Manchester 25 January
The club had a
magnificent Northern Championship, just missing out on individual and
team medals in the under 13 Boys' event. Dave Forrester took fourth
place, defeating the County Champion, Mike Burke improved from 69th last
year, Mike Ehlen finished 56th to give the lads a chance of the
bronze medals but an injury to Ben Clough, who battled bravely to finish
114th, saw the team finish eighth. Steve Clague completed the
course despite being unwell. In 1979 when the club won the National Championship
at under 13 Girls' level they were eighth in the Northern so, with John
Dumbell available for the National and Ben recovered from injury, maybe
history will repeat itself.
The senior women were
able to finish a team for the first time thanks to Louise Casey, Cecilia
Fitzsimons, Pam Appleton and Julia Eccleston, the latter having been ill all
week and showing great courage to finish after Margaret was forced to
retire with injury after one lap.The girls were 22nd. Gill Bacon
move through the field after a slow start to finish 24th repeating her recent
victory over Sarah Jones (Macclesfield).
The senior men also
finished a team, claiming 46th spot led by Barry Graney and Ray Vose.
Andy O'Connor, Tony Davies, Ian White and Richard Bradshaw kept the club
flying with 2271 points.
Dave Twigg
maintained his excellent form with 11th place in the under 15 race with Tom
Griffiths and John Appleton again showing determined support in this
season of transition. Melissa
McLoughlin completed the equivalent girls' race on a difficult surface.
There was a return to competition for Barry Cunliffe, Greg Williams ran in the under 17's and there was bad luck for
the under 13 girls, Lucy Cannon, Kim Bridge and Chloe Wilson packing well
but unable to finish a team after losing Sara McLoughlin during the race.
Many thanks to team
managers Sue Clague and Julia Hayes for heroics in the midst of chaos, John
Irwin, Joe Ehlen and Danny McLoughlin for assistance in the cold and windy
field and the parental and other support from the Forresters, Burkes,
Twiggs, Mr
Bridge, Alan Davies, Mr Wilson, Frank Vose & Phil Thomas. Unless some of
the youngsters drove themselves to the course other parents must also have
been there and our thanks go also to you for your support.
Last season we turned
out only eight athletes, three senior men, one senior woman, three under
15 Boys and one under 13 Boy. We did not finish a single team.This season we had
six senior men, five senior women, one junior, one under 17, four under 15's and
nine under 13's, making a total of 26 athletes, finishing three teams
and came within an ace of individual and team medals. Dave Forrester's
fourth placing was the best individual performance by an under 13 since Steve
Jones was second at Blackburn 27 years ago.Last year was the starting point,
this year is the foundation, next year we are aiming to double the numbers
taking part.
No-one was impressed
with the race organisation, the marking, the course, parking and absence of food
and toilet facilites. We've seen how other clubs do it, Sherdley Park,
St Helens in 2004, will be significantly better.
On the learning front,
Danny McLoughlin is photocopying Sue Clague's leaflet on pre-race nourishment
and related matters which will be circulated later this week and Joe Ehlen is hopeful of bringing his tent to use
at the National. Results
Helsby Half
Marathon: 19 January
Pauline Picton beat the
2 hour mark by three seconds in her first half marathon of the year while
Dorothy Fairhurst was just under eight minutes adrift.
Ashurst Beacon 18
January
Gill Bacon was
the first lady home in this race running four minutes faster than last year, Tony
Smith was the tenth man home with second claim Paul Singleton ten
seconds and one place behind him.
Schools Cross
Country Championships 18 January:
David Twigg finished
third in the Cheshire event at Ellesmere Port, Jodie Nelson was eighth
while Sara McLoughlin was fourteenth in the youngest race.Melissa
McLoughlin also ran. In the Merseyside event at Huyton Ben Clough, Mike Ehlen
and John Dumbell were third, fourth and fifth, Steve Clague was
26th while Greg Williams was one place behind National Champion
Mike Rimmer in his race.
Miscellaneous
11/12 January 2003
Gill Bacon had a
run out in the Mid-Lancs League finishing third lady on Saturday while John
Appleton was 50th in the Garstang 10k, Pam Appleton (265) and
Julia Eccleston (319) also completing the course which attracted almost 400
finishers.
Liverpool & District Championships,
Clarke's Gardens 12 January
Barry Graney produced another fine
performance to lead the senior men into sixth place at the L&D
Championships. Barry finished 26th and was closely followed by the
rejuvenated Andy O'Connor (30), laying the ghost of last week's run, Richard
Farrar (33) relaxed and composed, with the strong finishing Ray Vose (39)
making it four in fourteen. Tony Davies (56) reminded us of his
outstanding potential with Andy Boyack completing the count despite
having to stop with dizziness at the top of the final hill. Cecilia
Fitzsimons continued her fine run of form and Tony Raffle produced a
sprint finish to hold on to his place at the end of the deceptively tough
course. Ian White was forced out early on with a leg injury, John
Irwin was unable to run owing to illness, Danny McLoughlin had work
commitments while Barry Cunliffe is still injured. We got the
better of Southport, for whom Rob Berry won the individual title but LPS, Wirral
and Liverpool Running Club all finished teams this weekend.Results
Champion Performance, Ellesmere Port, 4 January
Dave Twigg became the club's first Cheshire Champion since Brian Woolford
thirty years ago when he lifted the Under 15 cross country title at Ellesmere Port.
Unlike last week when he left his victory until the end, Dave took the lead
early on, coming home in style. Jodie Nelson also gave herself a boost by
earning a place in the Cheshire side for the inter-counties by finishing in the top six. Full
results when known.
Results
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It was very nearly another ten, the under 13 girls' quartet of Sara
McLoughlin, Kim Bridge, Chloe Wilson and Lucy Cannon only missing the bronze
medals by five points, while the senior men were the same total short of an
unexpected third place in the final race of the day.
A year ago the club fielded four senior ladies. This year eight finished
the course, Chris Dempsey and Pam Appleton completing the count behind Gill
and Cecilia. Julia Eccleston, Pauline Picton, Janet Holmes and Margaret
Hunter-Frackelton were outstanding in their packing. Ray Vose, Barry Graney, Andy O'Connor, Tony Davies, Danny McLoughlin & John Irwin completed the turnout in the senior men's race for a respectable
196 points, just five short of the bronze medals.