Wallasey Athletic Club's Youth Champion, Ian Wilson returned a great 52.5 seconds when taking second place in the Northern Counties track and field championships at Grimsby last Saturday.
This was a personal best performance and a new club record for Ian, and was achieved in a strong wind which kept sprinters' times down to mediocre standards.
Despite being knocked out of the 100 yards, club junior champion Alan Kin came through his heat of the 220 yards and was placed 4th in the semi-final in a personal best 23.7, which equaled the 4th fastest time in the final.
Wallasey's two other representatives were not so successful. Dave Lockley, still struggling for full fitness, finished 6th in the 2,000 metres steeplechase in 6 mins. 35 secs. and javelin thrower Eric Taylor handicapped by a 'crack of dawn' train journey across-country, could only manage a 150 feet throw some 20 feet below his current form.
It was a case of winning one trophy but losing another in the inter-town athletics festival held at Lingham Park last Saturday.
St. Helens took the boys' cup with 73 points to Wallasey and Blackburn's 54 points, and Birkenhead won the girls trophy with 26 points, Wallasey being a lowly 4th with 9 points.
The cup for the best performance at the meeting went to Brian McGrath, of Wallasey Athletic Club who soared to a magnificent 6ft. 1½ ins. in the high jump to beat the previous meeting record by half an inch.
Other fine efforts came from Wallasey's Alan Keating, who won the senior 880 yards with 2 mins. 4 secs., and Johnny Jones and Melvin Schless, who took the senior and junior mile titles in 4:38 and 4:42 respectively.
The meeting started over half an hour late due to inadequate track markings and was a poor reflection on the borough's recent from the competitors lifted the meeting so that the remainder of the afternoon's events went off with incident and thanks must go to the officials who gave unstinting service throughout the meeting.
Wallasey Schools stage their athletics finals today at Oldershaw Grammar School, and many of the club's members will be taking part for their own schools. The club make one of their periodic visits to Foel Glap farm next Sunday (a week tomorrow) for a handicap race of their three mile hill course. Members intending to make the journey are asked to contact C. W. Gee as soon as possible.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 08/07/1967 by DISCOBOLUS
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