Members of Wallasey A.C. competed in the annual Lever Trophy meeting at Port Sunlight last Saturday. Although Wallasey failed to win the trophy, nearly all our members achieved their best, efforts.
Without a doubt it is only lack of sprinters in the senior category that prevents the club from being a forced to reckon with in local athletes, for our performers in distance and field events are in superb form.
Kevin Mather once again showed his class in the half-mile, and although beaten by Brian Hall of Manchester (who recorded 1 minute 52.4 sees.), he achieved his fastest time of 1 min. 54.5 secs. and was catching Hall fast at the end of the race.
Brian Hall was a member of the Northern team which broke the old world 4 x 1 mile relay record recently, being just beaten by the New Zealand quartet of Halberg, Magee, Philpott and Snell - two of that number are Olympic champions! Brian Chalton ran his fastest time of the year with 2 mins. 4 secs.
In the high jump, Matt Smith cleared 5 feet 3 inches and just failed at 5 ft. 6 in. and Carl Gee jumped 5 ft 0 ins. Carl later competed in the discus and won easily with 127 ft. 10½ ins., his second best throw this season. After a great number of setbacks
which have interfered with his training, Carl is right, back in form; he achieved his best ever of 132 ft. 8½ ins. on Wednesday and should clear 140 ft. 0 ins. next year.
The two-mile team race was one of the most exciting races of the day. After a fast early pace Bill Bennett, Tom Pugh - (a guest and a member of the English cross-country junior team which won the international championships) and Ron Barlow were soon in the lead. Bennett, won an exciting race in 9 mins. 7 secs, with Pugh just, behind and Barlow third in 9 mins. 17 secs, his best, effort this year. Brian Woolford was fourth and Billy Morris ninth.
In the team competition Wallasey were placed fourth, behind Wirral, Liverpool and Manchester. In the junior competition Wallasey could (provide only three competitors, but this was enough to ensure third place in the competition. David Duncan, as expected, won the 880 yards, in 2 mins. 3.3 secs., and finished second in the mile team race after being blatantly obstructed by two membersn of the winning team Liverpool Harriers. John Howard gained second place in the long jump with 17 ft. 4 ins. The final order was Manchester, Liverpool, Wallasey.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 05/08/1961 by P.W.C.
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