Last weekend, wet and windy as it was, saw the Wallasey Athletic Club competing in the Merseyside championships at Kirkby and the male members competing in the Cheshire Men's Championship in Hartford, Northwich.
There was an air of disappointment throughout the weekend because of the number of absentees and the somewhat mediocre performances meet from those who did take part.
I hope that these performances were due in the main to the weather. I am sure they were and that further competitions will prove more successful.
Saturday first and the women's competition in Kirkby.
Oona Norris was the only girl to qualify for the junior girl's 800 metres when she managed a third place in her heat with a time of 2min 40secs. The winner of the final only manned 2min 39.4secs. Which must give some indication of the weather conditions and tiredness of the girls. Oona only managed 2min 53.7secs in the final and 6th place. The other girls who ran in the 800m, although running perhaps slightly better than expected, only managed to finish as follows:- Joanne Macdonald 5th, 2min 47.5secs., Carole Jenkinson 7th, 2min 54.5secs and Karen Howley 3rd, 2min 45.8secs.
Although one shouldn't feel disappointed in the standard of officiating, at a meeting such as this, one wonders why Lynne Jenkinson, the only Wallasey girl competing in the junior girls 100m. Should have been the only one to receive a time in 1/100 sec.
This meant that she was not allowed to go forward to the final. Her official time was given as 13.24 secs. and she finished third in her heat. Ann Morgan was the only other female competitor, she ran in a 200m and finished 6th in 31.2secs.
Compared with last year's Cheshire Championships, Wallasey results were not as good again, however, the weather must bear some of the blame. WaIlasey's 'man of the match' must certainly be Philip D'Arcy. His impressive and determined run in the final, after first finishing 2nd in his heat, should be used as an example to other club members. He finished 2nd in the final in 2min 33.2secs and collected a well-deserved silver medal. The only other club medallist was Tim Guest, who finished 1st in the senior 100m in 12.2secs, running into a quite a strong head wind and suffering from a touch of flu.
I hope that club members are not too disappointed in their performances during the weekend and will perhaps now realise that hard work is essential to obtain any results that are worthwhile.
Next Saturday, 22nd May, sees some members competing in the Wirral Schools' meeting at Woodchurch Community Centre and the 29th gives many members a chance to prove that this championship weekend was one when performances can only be bettered, during the first of the Northern Colts/Boys and Youth League.
CHESHIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
COLTS' EVENTS
Phil Cartwright 100 4th in heat 16.1 secs
Mark Wigfield 100 4th in heat 15.7 secs
Phil D'Arcy 800 2nd in heat 2nd in final 2 min 33.2 secs
BOYS' EVENTS
100m, A. Michael, 4th in final 13.4 secs
200m, A. Michael, 3rd in heat 27.7 secs, 5th in final 26.5 secs
200m, N. Tunstall, 3rd in heat 28.3 secs, 6th in final 27.9 secs
1500m, N. Robinson, 4th in heat, 5 mins 1 secs
YOUTHS' EVENTS
100m, M. Michael, 4th in heat 12.9 secs
200m, M. Michael, 6th in heat 26.9 secs
800m, D. Southern, 5th in heat 2 mins 20 secs
1500m, K. McGee, 6th in final 4 mins 40.9 secs
1500m, R. Hemmings, 7th in final 4 mins 41.2 secs
1500m, C. W. Wright, 10th in final 4 mins 48.2 secs
1500m, K. McAlister, 12th in final 5 mins 11.2 secs
JUNIOR EVENTS
100m, D. Swindell, 4th in final 12.2 secs
100m, D. McAlister, 6th in final 13.0 secs
100m, M. Willacey, 7th in final 13.4 secs
400m, D. Swindell, 4th in final 56.2 secs
1500m, R. Dixon, 5th in final
SENIOR EVENTS
100m, T. Guest, 1st in final
200m, T. Guest, 2nd in final
400m, P. Jones, 3rd in final
800m, P. Jones, 4th in final
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 22/05/1976
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