Last Saturday saw the staging of the Cheshire Men's Championship at Crewe in which most of Wallasey's athletes took part and came home with good results, included three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.
The championships got under way with the senior men's 800 metres, in which, Pete Jones was to compete. The event was a 'straight' final with no heats. Pete played the race with great
calm and remained in third or fourth place all through the first 550 metres.
From there the race began to pick up and he 'kicked' with the leader, passing out third place to finish second.
The race could have been won by Pete if he had picked up 50 metre earlier, therefore being able to go into the lead and perhaps using the element of surprise on the other athletes. Pete picked up the silver medal. The three gold medals were won by Peter Doyle in the 800 metres and 400 metres youths, while the third win for Wallasey was by Dave Pendleton in the youths' 1500 metres. He ran in a straight final where he ran behind the leaders for 1300 metres, then began to pick up the pace and take the lead. He was chased to the
tape but his speed held the opposition off.
Neil Henfry, in the same race as Peter Doyle, the 400 metres youths, collected the bronze medal with a personal best.
Mark Cooper looked set for a medal through the heats of the of the boys' 800 metres. In the final he ran with the leaders, but on the 'run-in' he was agonisingly beaten into fourth place by less than on hundredth of a second. He and third place were credited with the same time.
In the colts 1500 metres final Paul Backhouse finished fourth and Mike King finished sixth. Paul ran well, but he did not have the strength to keep up with the first three, which broke contact through the last lap.
The Tuesday night before the championships at Stretford, four athletes recorded their year's best and personal best performances.
Pete Jones ran 400 metres in a year's best of 51.2 seconds in practical darkness, as it was getting late.
Earlier, Jim Roberts recorded a personal best of 4.08.3 in the senior men's 1500 metres. Janet McGee recorded a personal best in the Senior Ladies British Milers Club 800 metres at 2:12.4. Pete Doyle ran 4:04 for a 1500 metres in the youths' age group.
On Sunday, Wallasey Athletic Club, men and women travel to Crewe to compete in the GRE Knockout Cup against such clubs as Wirral Athletic Club and Crewe & Nantwich Athletic Club.
Results of Cheshire Championships
Senior men
800m: 2, Pete Jones 1:56.3
400m: 5, Pete Jones 52.00
Youths
800m: 1, Pete Doyle 2:00.9
400m: 1, Pete Doyle 52.9; 3, Neil Henfry 54.6
1500m: 1, Dave Pendleton 4:19.3; 11, Ian Wiggins 4:42.9
Boys
1500m heats: 10, N. Thompson 5:26.4; 12, T. Carr 5:36.2
Colts
1500m: 4, Paul Backhouse 4:44.7; 6, Mike King 4:57.5
Final 200m: 6, Mike King 31.2
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 28/05/1983
Ref 1975