Wallasey Athletic Club produced their outstanding team performance of the year to take second place to Darlington Harriers in their Northern League fixture at Hull.
In scoring 245 points, Wallasey finished just four behind Darlington and with one more match to go in this season's series, now have a real chance of promotion. Two clubs will advance and Wallasey must beat the Cumbrian club, Border Harriers, to be in with a chance.
Once again it was the sterling all-round efforts by team captain Peter Jones, Bob Brimage, Neil Tunstall, Doug Hanna and Chris Preston, all competing in at least four events each, which laid the foundations for success. Among their achievement! Were personal bests for Tunstall in winning the triple jump at 12.22 metres and for Bob Brimage with a third-place javelin throw of 41.66 metres.
For university student Tunstall, making the journey from Nottingham to represent the club, it was his second individual success of the afternoon, having already won a breath-taking 400 metres hurdles in 59.1 seconds. He then contributed to Wallasey's fine winning performances in both relays, as did Jones.
There was joy, too, for the two youngest members of the team as 15-year-old Peter Doyle ran a personal best 400 meters of 54.7 seconds, as well as a confident 800 metres and 400 metres relay leg, and Rob Peckham (also 15) achieved his best ever marks of 1.92 meters in the high jump and 5.27 metres in the long jump.
Jones took three individual second places at 200, 400 and 800 meters, while Brimage and Alan Johnson won the A and B string steeplechases and, in the throwing events, Preston who travels from Birmingham for league matches and club coach Hanna picked up three first places and three seconds between them for invaluable points.
Sprint newcomer Mike Johnson, who has joined Wallasey from Wirral A.C., made a strong impression with third places at 100 and 200 metres and a storming leg in the 400 metres relay. Back in action were Kevin McGee, after a layoff for university exams, at 1,500 metres, and James Roberts, making his return to 5,000 metres after breaking his leg in a road accident during the winter.
Another month's training should see Johnson, McGee and Roberts even fitter and faster, and that augurs well for the final league fixture at Cudworth on August 7.
Whether or not promotion is won, the performances by Wallasey's men on the track this season have already provided further evidence of a revival in the club's fortunes. A steadily growing membership and great enthusiasm and loyalty at all levels are the reasons for the new mood of optimism.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 10/07/1982
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