If you follow athletics, you cannot fail to have heard of the fastest 800m in the world this year by triple world record holder Sebastian Coe.
This was done during the Northern Counties Athletic Association Championships in Hull last weekend. What you will have failed to have heard about is Pete Jones' personal best 800m.
Pete was drawn in the same heat as Sebastian and for much of the race kept him company. It didn't help Sebastian, but it did give Pete a rare chance to sample the sheer power of that running machine and gloat over the easy way in which he runs.
Considering the fact that Pete has been displaying his athletic talents on celluloid the last three weeks, as one of the athletes in that film of the 1924 Olympics 'Chariots of Fire', the performance was, indeed, an achievement worth noting. His return to correct training, now that the filmmaking has finished, will certainly mean a much faster time before the season's end.
Dave Ashton, who has been far from happy with his performances of late, was given a small boost to his confidence during these championships by equalling his personal best 400 hurdles time. Both Pete and Dave were far from satisfied with their 400m times, but then you can't always be happy.
While these two men were running around Hull, Wallasey's girls were running around the Oval track at Bebington. It was the Merseyside Women's Championships and Wallasey Athletic Club was well represented.
Janet McGee put the other competitors in her 800m in their place. She strolled round the track in her second fastest time this season and won by six seconds.
Sherylee Whyte knocked a good chunk from her previous time to record her personal best time over the same distance. She is capable of much faster, as are most of the other Wallasey girls and I am sure that these championships are just the start of the tumbling times.
Next Saturday sees many of the Wallasey Athletic Club athletes competing for a place, in the Merseyside School's team to contend the English School's title.
These English schools races are likened to the Olympics for sheer numbers, organisation and the title of 'champion'.
Wallasey is bound to have members representing Merseyside and you do not need to go abroad to support them, for this, the 50th year, the all-English Schools Championships are being staged at the Kirkby Stadium.
More about those nearer the date, July 11/12. In the meantime should you wish to become a member of Wallasey's only athletic club, simply ensure that you are over 11 and under 12 and are prepared to work to improve your own standard or help to improve the club.
Please telephone Doug Hanna for further details on 638 0296 or meet us on a Monday evening at Leasowe Leisure Centre around 7 pm.
The Festival of Sport event organised by Wallasey A.C. takes place on Sunday afternoon and is in the form of a road relay race. Start and finish is on the Egremont promenade.
RESULTS
Northern Counties
Pete Jones, 4th, 1 min 55.21 secs - 400, 5th, 52.83 secs.
Dave Ashton, 400 hurdles, 5th, 59.93 - 400, 5th, 53.37 secs.
Inter girls 800: Janet McGee, 1st, 2 mins 18.1 secs.
Minor girls 800: Sharon Williams, 10th, 2 mins 53.5 secs; Sheila Rae, 13th; Jenny Jones, 12th; Sherylee Whyte, 6th, 2 mins 44 secs; Michaela Chapman, 11th , 2 mins 53.5 secs.
Junior girls 800: Janice Davies, 7th, 2 mins 46.9 secs.
Inter girls 1500: Marie Henry, 7th, 5 mins 31.6 secs.
Minor girls 4 x 100 relay: 5th 64.9 secs.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 14/06/1980 by Doug Hanna
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