Johncock qualifies

JOHNCOCK IS PRAGUE-BOUND

Rachel Johncock's turned on the style once again at the Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix when she earned her place on the plane to the European Indoor Championships in Prague next month.

 The former Colwyn Bay sprinter broke her own Welsh record in the 60-metre heat, clocking 7.24s, which was  one-hundredth of a second inside the GB qualifying time.

 She was unable to step up another gear in the final, finishing eighth but she had the added satisfaction of having beaten the 2012 Olympic silver medallist, Carmelita Jetter of the United States.

 At the same televised meeting Welsh pole vault record-holder Sally Peake (Birchfield) from Hawarden, cleared 4.15 before pulling out with an injury.

 

Welsh CC Champs

GRIFFITHS WINS FOURTH TITLE

Swansea's Dewi Griffiths had things very much his own way as he claimed his fourth successive Welsh title at the national cross-country championships at the Rhug Estate in Corwen.

 The GB international strode away from the rest of the field as a keen tussle took place between his Swansea clubmates for the other medal places.

 The ladies' race saw an equally  convincing win for Ffion Price (Cardiff) who was last year's under-20s' champion. She took full advantage of the absence of favourite Caryl Jones to win by over a minute from  former English fellrunning champion Lauren Jeska (Eryri).

 Though the turnout by North Wales seniors was disappointing there were some fine individual and team performances in the lower age-groups, with victories for Mia Roberts (Deeside) and Oliver Barbaresi (Menai) and silver medals for Osian Perrin (Menai) and Christian Smith (Wrexham) and a bronze for Cari Hughes (Menai). 

 There was also some exciting young talent on display in the primary schools' 1,500-metres races, with Menai taking three of the four team awards.

 RESULTS

Girls Primary  Year 5: 1 N Roberts (Deeside) 6.57, 2 K Griffiths (Aberdare) 7.47, 3 E Edwards (Deeside). Tea ms: Menai 23.
Girls Primary Year 6: 1 D Thompson (Carmarthen) 6.27, 2 S Jones (Menai) 6.31, 3 A Hill (Cardiff Archers) 6.38. Teams: Menai 23, Cardiff Archers 24.
Girls under 13: 1 M Roberts (Deeside) 13.15, 2 S Vella (Cardiff) 13.21, 3 C Gwyther (Swansea) 13.26. Teams: Deeside 43, Carmarthen 78.
Girls under 15: 1 A Fisher (Cardiff) 17.55,  2 I Dodd (Bridgend) 18.04, 3 N Reid (Cardiff) 18.10. Teams: Cardiff 31, Pembrokeshire H 34, Carmarthen 64.
Women under 17: 1 B Owen (Scar borough) 17.14, 2 H Davies (Brecon) 17.50, 3 C Hughes (Menai) 18.10. Team: Brecon 53.
Senior women: 1 FRf Price (Cardiff, U23) 2 L Jeska (Eryri) 27.37, 3 A Beynon Thomas (Swansea) 27.54, 4 K Parry (Leeds) 28.12, 5 C Evans (Pontypridd, U23) 29.07,6 S Leech (C armarthen) 29.55. U23: 3 A Bagnall (Salford) 32.50. Teams: Brecon 59, Buckley 72.

Boys Primary Year 5:   1 F Morgan (Carmarthen) 6.06, 2 I Oldfield (Bryn Coch, Mold) 6.39, 3 R Hodgson (Trelawnyd) 6.43. Teams: Menai 19, Bryn Coch 22, Carmarthen 23.
Boys Primary Year 6: 1 I Humphries (Pembrokeshire) 5.54, 2 J Reynolds (Cardiff Archers) 6.04, 3 R Edwards (Cardiff) 6.11. Teams: Menai 34, Ysgol Penbarras 34, Bryn Coch 44.
 Boys under 13: 1 I Glynn (Carmarthen) 12.02, 2 O Perrin (Menai) 12.08, 3 L Griffiths (Aberdare) 12.16. Teams: Carmarthen 28, Menai 61.
 Boys under 15: 1 O Barbaresi (Menai) 15.20, 2 L Davies (Brecon) 15.34, 3 E Lawrence (Swansea) 16.03. Teams: Menai 34, Cardiff 36, Carmarthen 55, Brecon 59.
Men under 17: 1 M Williams (Pembrokeshire) 15.51, 2 C Smith (Wrexham) 16.11, 3 J Turner (Stroud) 16.20. Teams: Carmarthen 41, Wrexham 42.
 Men under 20: 1 J Hopkins (Swansea) 22.39, 2 M Dickinson (Wells) 23.05, 3 C Lewis (Cardiff) 23.44, 4 M Jones (Newport) 23.56, 5 O Roberts (Eryri) 25.50.
Senior men: 1 D Griffiths (Swansea)  34.16, 2 M Hobbs (Swansea) 34.50, 3 P Matthews (Swansea) 34.58, 4 C Carpanini (Swansea, U23) 35.03,  5 I Mitchell (Tipton) 35.53, 6 R Roberts (Eryri) 36.23. U23: 2 R Boorman (Aberdare) 37.58, 3 P Tobin (Swansea) 38.00. Teams: Swansea "A" 27, Aberdare 114, Swansea "B" 133, Buckley 250.

Hulson win

HULSON CHALKS UP BIGGEST WIN YET

Charlie Hulson from Rhosesmor took his season to new heights when he won the English National Cross-Country Championships over the notoriously difficult Parliament Hill course in London.

 The Sale athlete, who opted for the English meeting instead of the Welsh championships in Corwen because he wanted to be sure of a top-class competition, had his wish fulfilled as the 2,000-strong field included several in-form internationals.

 The 21-year-old made his intentions clear on the first of the two 6k laps and though fellow GB internationals Adam Hickey and Richard Goodman tried to stay with him they gradually fell away.

 In very muddy conditions Hulson, formerly of Deeside AAC, pulled away and finished in 39.12, 19 seconds clear of  runner-up Andrew Hayes (Hallamshire), with former Bangor University student Nick Swinburn (Morpeth) third eight seconds back. Hickey came home seventh.

 Hulson, who was naturally delighted with his win - he last ran the English Nationals as a junior man a few years ago and finished in the 20s - has his sights firmly set on the UKC inter-counties' title in Birmingham on March 7, when he will be running for North Wales.

 "That is why I felt I needed a good hard run in London," he said. "The season has gone really well but I have been putting the work in."

 He has another incentive for going for a win in Birmingham as it will be on his 22nd birthday.

 In the ladies' race in London the North Wales Cross-Country League champion Alison Lavender (Oswestry) finished an excellent seventh and former champion Claire Martin (Telford) was 18th.

Eddie's tops

EDDIE TOP IN TWO CATEGORIES

Prestatyn Running Club's remarkable octogenarian Eddie Naisby topped the UK Masters' rankings over two distances, according to the latest statistics published for 2014.

 The super-vet, who is 87 in April, headed the over-85s' 10k list with his 62m 11s recorded in Birkenhead and also the half-marathon list with his 2-20.41 in Liverpool.  

 And as a  good club man Eddie was among the marshals at the Welsh cross-country championships at Rhug, Corwen, on Saturday.

UKAC Champs

NORTH WALES FOR BIRMINGHAM

North Wales team manager David Alun Williams has named a strong senior men's team for the UK Counties Cross-Country Championships in Birmingham on March 7.

 The line-up includes in-form GB international Charlie Hulson (Sale) and Northern champion Andrew Davies (Stockport). Andrew's brother Tim has had to pull out due to another  commitment and Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd) was named in his place. However, he is still recovering from injury and so Iwan Jones (Coventry) has been  called up.

 The under-15 boys, too, has some strength in depth with Matthew Willis and Oliver Barbaresi having already proved themselves capable of competing at the highest level.

 Among those with a chance of individual honours are Iolo Hughes (Menai) and Georgina Outten (Birchfield) in the under-20 classes

 The full squad is:- Under 13 boys: O Perrin, E Potter, C La Trobe (Menai), D Gill (Mald), J Jones (Dee), J Evans (Wrex), T Land (CB),   M Spill (Eryri).
 Under 15  boys: O Barbaresi, S Jones, R Finnie (Menai), M Willis, T Evans (Wrex), J Crutchley (Mald), I James, S Holt (CB).
 Under 17 men: C Smith, M Pleavin, S Sussex, H Arnull, A Williams (Wrex), C Linton, R Cain (Menai), J Spill (Menai).
 Under 20 men: I Hughes, R James (Menai), O Roberts (Eryri), M Blackwell (Dee).
 Senior men: D Kashi, R Roberts (Eryri), A Davies (Stockport), T Roberts (Meir), C Hulson (Sale), R Challinor (Liv H), D Weston, J Mills (Wrex), W Sheridan (Dee).
 Under 13 girls: M Roberts, F Davies, L Sharp (Dee), E Jones (Osw), K Jerman, E Hughes (Mald), Y Baker (Wrex), Ff M Rees Jones (Menai).
 Under 15 girls:  H Roberts (CB), M Owen (Dee), S Paxton (Wrex), K Jones, Z Baker (Osw), A McQueen (Eryri), S Walker (Mald), E Roberts (Menai).
 Under 17 women: C Hughes, M Davies (Menai), L Davis (Dee), G Morris (CB), V Gittins, C Evans, M Martin (Mald), L Jones (Menai).
 Under 20 women: G Outten (Birchfield), B Jenkinson (Eryri), A Backshall (CB).
Senior women: A Rowlands, M Hughes, L Emery-Jones,  B Law (Eryri), A Muller (West Chesh), L Wright (Wrex), D Williams (Menai), A Cheetham (Prest), A Bagnall (Salford).

GB Indoor Champs

JOHNCOCK SETS NEW WELSH RECORD

Former Colwyn Bay sprinter Rachel Johncock (Swansea) produced her best-ever performance to take silver in the 60 metres at the Great Britain indoor championships in Sheffield.

 The Loughborough student won her heat and semi-final, in which she set a pb of 7.37 seconds, and in the final lowered it again to 7.33, a new Welsh record. The race was won by the clear favourite, England's Dinah Asher-Smith.

 Another North Wales sprinter in top form was Deeside's Shannon Malone, who was first U20 in 7.60, also a pb. 

 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sally Peake (Birchfield) from Hawarden was delighted to take gold in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.25m, well  clear of runner-up Abigail Roberts.

 Another record-breaker was Welspool's Adele Nicoll (Birchfield), who won the U20 shot and was fifth overall with a best effort of 14.87m.

 Wrexham's Hannah Thomas finished 4th in her 60m heat in 25.08, albeit a season's best and her clubmate Megan Rogers also recorded a season's best of 55.36 in coming 4th in the  400m.

Village Bakery Half

VAUGHAN MAKES ELLY WORK FOR VICTORY

Eryri's Welsh marathon champion Alun Vaughan, who has done few races recently, showed he is on target for another good time in London this year when he finished second to Tarus Elly (Salford) in the Village Bakery Half-Marathon in Wrexham.
 
 Elly won in 70.36, with Vaughan 23 seconds behind and the remarkable M50 veteran Andy Green (Warrington) third.

 There was an even closer finish in the women's race, with Stockport's Jenny Knass edging it by just three seconds from Wrexham's own Emma Crowe.

 Results (gun times): 1 T Elly (Salford) 70.36, 2 A Vaughan (Eryri) 7-.59, 3 A Green (Warr, M50) 71.10, 4 J Loxam (Stockport) 72.04, 5 R Bentley (Eryri) 72.19, 6 S Doyle (Vale Royal, M40) 72.22, 7 S Myatt (Trentham) 72.31, 8 P Vale (Mercia, M40) 72.35, 9 P Jones (Oswestry, M45) 72.50, 10 D Longley (Prestatyn) 72.55. U21: T Garbett (Total Tri) 81.31. 40: 3 M Smith (South Chesh) 73.14. M45: 2 N Jones (South Chesh) 79.07, 3 C Batho (Stockport) 79.11. M50: 2 R Tudor (Salford) 74.22, 3 I James (Wrex) 80.40. M55: 1 A Lewis (Eryri) 85.37, 2 K Smith (Whitchurch) 86.33, 3 P Hollins (Chester Tri) 87.05. M60: 1 J Foy (West Chesh) 86.27, 2 T Archer (Vale R) 89.08, 3 D Nalder (Ell Port) 93.00. M65: 1 S Johnston (Les Cr) 92.43, 2 R Batterham (West Chesh) 96.00, 3 P Simpson (Liv H) 99.53. M70: 1 C Rathbone (Vale R) 1-43.59, 2 B Beattie (West Chesh) 1-53.52. M75: D Gardner (NWRR) 1-43.40.
 Ladies> 1 J Knass (Stockport) 80.01, 2 E Crowe (Wrex, L40) 80.04, 3 R Harrison (Cheadle, L35) 81.46, 4 L Blizzard (Belgrave, L35) 83.37, 5 J Lawton (Stockport, L45) 88.52, 6 K Morgan (Aberdare. L35) 88.57. U21: L Eite (ua) 2-02.56. SL: 2 J Murray (Knowsley Tri) 89.29. L40: 2 L Grantham (Pensby) 89.12, 3 R Court (ua) 90.31. L45: 2 C Hemming (Spectrum) 90.43, 3 A Morgan (Knowsley) 94.35. L50: 1 T Shipley (Chester Tri) 1-40.55, 2 J Robathan (Centurion) 1-43.31, 3 L Feakes (Helsby)  1-48.57. L55: 1 L Collinson (Sh Shufflers) 96.03, 2 K Kingsley (ua) 1-52.34, 3 M Huws (Abergele) 1-54.18. L60: C Williams (Vale R) 2-03.37. L65: L Simpson (Penny Lane) 2-04.11. L70:  S Poole (Holme Pierrepoint) 2-15.18.