Jack’s a big hit
STOCKPORT’S Jack Morris continues his winning ways – having taken individual gold honours in the winter season in the Manchester and district cross country league, he’s now gone on to showcase his prowess on the track too.
Morris easily took the 5,000 metre crown at the Northern track and field championships in a time of 14:39 at Sportcity for the twelve and a half laps of the track, knocking the opposition into a cocked hat and beating second placed Adam Sciacca of Sale Harriers Manchester by a full 12 second margin (14:51).
There was further support from Stockport with Jack Nixon just missing out on a medal position to finish in fifth in 15:01.
Anyone who can run 15 minutes or so for just over three miles is always going to appear at the top end of the finishers’ list and so it was also for supervet Louise Rudd, also from the local club.
She took the bronze medal position in the senior 800 metres event, stopping the clock in 2:17:77 and narrowly missing out on second spot by just a vest’s width to second placed Rachel Atherton of Leeds City A.C. who recorded 2:17:24 for the two lap circuit.
Whilst most athletes have been plying their trade at this time of year in lower places, there are those who prefer a rock and a hard place on the fells.
So it has been for a clutch of junior Harriers who have all registered in the junior national fell racing rankings now that that part of the season has been completed.
Top of the shop went to Edward Corden who finished fourth for the under 15s boys.
Edward’s sister Heather also kept it in the family with a fifth place ranking in the senior girls under 19s section and there was also support for Stockport in the form of Emilia Gajda (under 19s - ninth) and Esther Hulley who finished a creditable 16th in the under 15s girls section.
Still in high up places, the Harriers’ team of Andy Titley, Michela Stepto, Lesley Sinclair and Neil Thompson took the winning team honours in the BT 3 peaks event encompassing Penygent, Whernside and Ingleborough.
Owing to atrocious weather the event had to be curtailed at the Hill Inn but the intrepid team will no doubt be back next year to have a further tilt at team honours.
A considerable response was forthcoming at the second of the four Harriers’ sponsored TRI athletics junior meetings.
Three under nine year olds tried their luck and judgement in the junior event, consisting of age group winner Theodora Uprichard for the girls and with a considerable tussle in the boys’ department which consisted of four events being 75 metres, 150 metres, long jump and the Vortex throw with Ben Doodson coming out on top and Finn Pimlott taking a worthy second place for his efforts.
There are two further opportunities to take part in this junior event on Wednesday evenings 28th June and 12th July
They will then be followed by the famous junior quadrathlon on Saturday, 22nd July to round the season off and further details may be found at www.shacquadrathlon.co.uk
Sunday 25th June sees the third of four Youth development meetings taking place at Victoria Park, Warrington for the upper age groups with start times of 11:15 (field) ●●Heather Corden finished fifth in the senior girls fell race and 11:40 for track events. The day before (Saturday) there is the “Whaley Waltz” fell race in conjunction with the annual carnival for those who wish for an annual dunking in the river Goyt before finishing the sixmile multi terrain event.