N Staffs XC League (1)

WILLIS AND SMITH GET OFF TO GREAT START

Wrexham youngsters Matthew Willis and Christian Smith took up where they left off at the start of last winter's cross-country seasons by winning their respective races in the opening fixture of the North Staffs League at Winsford.

 Last year Christian won the  first race in the U15 class, with Matthew third, but this time Christian moved up to the U17 class. Despite being younger than many of his fellow competitors he ran very well to win, while Matthew looked in great form in winning his race.

 Wrexham and Colwyn Bay AC placings were as follows:-
Boys under 11: 21 Ted Bolton (W), 22 Tom Buckley (W).
 Boys under 13: 18 James Evans (EW).
Boys under 15: 1 Matthew Willis (W).
Men under 17: 1 Christian Smith (W), 11 Sam Sussex (W), 12 Ashley Williams (W).
 Senior men: 8 Darren Rowlands (W), 41 Mike Robbins (W), 71 John Davies (W), 92 Russ Godwin (CB), 118 Neal Jones (CB), 152 Ian Taylor (CB), 163 Chris Williams (CB), 215 Phil Walker (W), 233 Arthur Egan (W), 244 David A Williams (W), 250 Mike H Edwards (W), 251 Shaun Partington (W), 255 Neil Edwards (W), 256 John Tipping (W).
Girls under 13: 15 Yasmine Baker (W).
 Girls under 15: 5 Holly Roberts (CB), 7 Sophie Paxton (W), 26 Lucy Buckley (W).
  Senior ladies: 8 Emma Crowe (W), 35 Abi Backshall (CB), 89 Vicky Ronald (CB), 138 Gill Czismadia (W), 170 Maureen Singleton (CB).

Paul Brooks

BEST WISHES TO PAUL

 I'm sure that everyone connected with the sport in North Wales joins me in sending best wishes to Paul Brooks, hardworking secretary of the North Wales Regional Athletics Council, who was taken to hospital in Wrexham last week suffering from chest pains.

 It appears that Paul had suffered a minor heart attack and he is expected to undergo further tests at Glan Clwyd Hospital tomorrow (Monday, 29th).

 Apart from being regional secretary he fills numerous roles including secretary of the Welsh road-running committee, manager of the North Wales team and race referee, so he will be greatly missed in his absence.

NWP CC Champs

FORCING THE PACE

Members of local running clubs took the honours in the North Wales Police cross-country championships at Bodelwyddan.

 First man home was Craig Jones (Eryri), who is chairman of the Welsh Fell-Runners' Association, while the first woman was Tracey Llewellyn (Cybi). She was followed by Sian Beck (Prestatyn).

Warrington Half

ANOTHER WIN FOR CLIFFE

Liverpool Harrier Daniel Cliffe, winner of last month's Ellesmere 10k, set a new pb of 68.10 in winning the EHM Festival Half-Marathon in Warrington.

 Cliffe, 23, is a student at McNeese State University in Louisana where his Liverpool clubmate Nathan Jones, from Rhyl, is also studying.

 Among other results in the Warrington race were: 17 Neil Robinson (Deestriders) 81.19, 167 Mark Mayers (Abergele) 93.24, 188 Stephen Roberts (Oswestry, 1st M60) 95.25, 207 Gareth Houghton (Buckley) 96.26.

Sutton 10k

LONGLEY HAS BEST WIN YET

The past few months have got better and better for Prestatyn's Dean Longley, with wins in the Deestriders' Off -Road Series, the Llanfair TH 10k and Ras Fawr Llanddoged. 

 But his latest victory in the Sutton 6 10k in Little Sutton took him up several more notches with the bonus of having improved his pb by 80 seconds.

 The race attracted a large number of North Wales runners   and also marked the return to competition after troublesome injuries of Tattenhall's Marilyn Kitching, who was second lady home but had a remarkably fast chip time of 36.05.

 Results: 1 D Longley (Prestatyn) 32.44, 2 S Doyle (Vale Royal, M40) 32.39, 3 T Roberts (Meirionnydd) 32.30, 4 D Rowlands (Wrex, M45) 33.54, 5 G Houghton (Spectrum, M40) 33.45, 6 J Brown (Buckley, M40) 33.45. U20: 1 R McGeachie (Halton and Frodsham) 37.00, 2 B Harrison (Prestatyn) 43.46. M35: 1 R Arden (Tattenhall) 37.34, 2 C Fitzpatrick (Helsby) 37.44, 3 J Cole (Ell Port) 39.30. M45: 2 J Johnson (Wirral) 35.37, 3 G Blackwell (Deeside) 37.54. M50: 1 E Campbell (Buckley) 35.30, 2 G Woolmington 42.00, 3 D Davies (Prestatyn) 40.46. M55: 1 R Freeman (West Chesh) 38.44, 2 I Ainscough (Chester Tri) 41.40, 3 I McNeill (Birkenhead) 41.47. M60: 1 S Owen (Salford) 34.01, 2 R Batterham (West Chesh) 44.00, 3 J Seddon 50.30. M65: 1 R Frost (Wrex) 52.48. M70: 1 J Morris (Buckley) 48.56, 2 K Robson (Manchester Tri) 52.01.  M75: 1 J Park (Cheshire Tally Ho) 48.28. M80: R Billington (Wrex) 63.10.

 Ladies: 1 G Mead (Chester Tri, L50) 37.55, 2 M Kitching (Tattenhall, L45) 40.45, 3 A Grundy (Tattenhall, L35) 41.57, 4 J McHugh (Chester Tri, L40) 41.58, 5 K Forster (Spectrum, L50) 44.22, 6 L Howell (L35) 44.40. L50: 3 D Rutherford (Pensby) 47.06. L55: D Read (Spectrum) 47.38. L60: S Charman (Spectrum) 61.43.

NW Junior Mountain Running

RECORD GOES ON THE ORME

One of the day's youngest competitors set a new course record at the North Wales Junior Mountain-Running Championships on Llandudno's Great Orme.

 Lily Philbin, from Bolton, who was running as a guest, took six seconds off the old record of 3minutes 3 seconds in the under-8 girls' race.

 One of the best races of the day came in the under-12 boys' competition. Tomos Land (Colwyn Bay) and Eden Potter (Ysgol Friars) were shoulder-to-shoulder almost all the way until the former pulled away on the final hill to the finish.

 Results:- Boys. Under 8: 1 D Pye (Ysgol Henblas) 2.51, 2 C Harding (Henblas) 2.55, 3 L Llewelyn (Ysgol Rhoscolyn) 3.21. Under 10: 1 G Soley (Menai) 5.33, 2 T Bolton (Wrexham, guest) 5.39, 3 J Congrove (Penybryn) 6.25, 4 J Cain (Menai) 6.29. Under 12: 1 T Land (Colwyn Bay) 9.38, 2 E Potter (Friars) 9.48, 3 M Spill (Eryri) 10.02. Under 14: 1 S Jones (Menai) 17.31, 2 E Greenland (Tarporley, Guest) 17.46, 3 K Forest (Menai) 18.21, 4 R Finney (Menai) 18.36. Under 16: 1 S Williams (Eryri) 23.32, 2 N Gilland (Menai) 25.12.

 Girls. Under 8: 1 L Philbin (Bolton, Guest) 2.57, 2 K Cain (ua) 3.09, 3 D Ansell (Pen y Bryn) 3.16, 4 J Tomblin (Ysgol y Borth) 3.22. Under 10: 1 G Parkinson (Menai) 5.46, 2 A Parkinson (Menai) 5.52, 3 A McHugh (Newcastle-under-Lyme, Guest) 6.03, 4 E Baines (Eryri) 6.39. Under 12: 1 S Jones (Menai) 10.38, 2 M Philbin (Bolton, Guest) 11.06, 3 J Cain (Menai) 12.28. U14: 1 A McQueen (Eryri) 20.37, 2 H Roberts (Colwyn Bay) 21.03, 3 C Donnelly (Eryri) 21.21.

Northern relays

HULSON PUTS SALE INTO LEAD

Charlie Hulson from Rhosesmor gave Sale Harriers a glimpse of gold at the North of England six-stage road relays at Birchwood Park, Warrington.

 The former Deeside athlete, running the second leg, moved Sale up from third to first with a lap of 18.54 but they slipped back and had to settle for bronze.

 On the same leg Hulson's former Deeside AC clubmate Ricky Challinor also took Liverpool Harriers up two places to 10th in a time of 19.48. On the fourth stage Daniel Cliffe clocked a  speedy 18.30 the day before winning the Warrington half-marathon.

 Running for Sale on the third leg was Bangor University student James Wignall, the current North Wales cross-country league champion. His time was 20.42.

 At the Midland road relays in Sutton Park Paul Ward was Telford's only representative, and he finished ninth on the opening leg.