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Forrester and LPS best in the North 27 January 2007 Heaton Park is a notoriously hilly and tough course for cross country runners and it is here that the 2007 Northern Championships were held. The Liverpool Pembroke Sefton Under 15 squad were widely talked up as the favourites given their early season national titles. They lived up to this expectation in no uncertain manner providing both individual and team winners. David Forrester ran the race of his life initially tracking a Matlock runner and then producing on the final hill an astonishing burst of speed that left everybody in his wake. Jake Helm(13), Mike Bride(30) and Chris Hesketh(34) closed in for a comfortable win over the highly rated Sale team. In 4 weeks the National Championships take place at Sunderland and the LPS form will have been noted. Not only does the local club have four excellent counters in this age group it has a fine backing squad of Paul Roberts(37), Ed Masters(51), Ed Rimmer(55), Sean Dignam(110) and Joe Meakin(155). Elsewhere there was another good performance from Andrew Bowen 17th in the Under 17s with Rob McLoughlin 109. Andrew Dible made the 143 spot for Under 13s, Danny Gordon 84 in the Junior Men and reliable Sammy Rashid 87 in the Senior race. The Under 15 girls team of Emma Bowen(24), Emma Binns(45), Tonia Swift(77) and Hannah Shirley(137) were a respectable 11th team. Emma Mitchell was 41st in the Under 13s, Steph Swift(37) and Lindsay Nadin(47) in the Under 20s and a delighted Kirsty Longley finishing 92nd out of 274 Senior runners. Results Report Charles Gains |
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Mid-Lancs League Lancaster University 21 January 2007 A number of club runners made the trip to Lancaster University for the Mid-Lancs Cross Country League.The Under 13 boys are learning the value of finishing a team and although individual performances(13 Kyle Nicholls, 19 Sean Kirkbride, 24 Joe Hanlon, 32 Adam Dible) warranted only 4th team placing there is a growing confidence here that will be reflected in future results. Our powerful Under 15 squad were not all present but Jake Helm(5), Chris Hesketh(10), Sean Dignam(20) and Rob Ford(29) ran within themselves to collect 3rd team placing. Steve Donegan(49) and Danny Gordon(73) were our only Senior men out but Danny was 4th in the Under 20 age group. The club`s Under 15 Girls are showing progress. Emma Bowen(5), Emma Binns(8), Tonia Swift(12) and Hannah Shirley(25) were a useful second team. A real bonus this season has been the inspired running of Kirsty Longley and here on the university campus she made a further advance to 12th placing in the Senior Women`s race. Steph Swift was 30th(4th Junior), June Swift 33rd(6th Junior) and Lindsay Nadin 42nd(8th Junior). There is a spirit about this group that is infectious. Coach, Mark Bleasdale, is delighted with them. Results Report Charles Gains |
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Danny Higham takes Northern Title 21 January 2007 The track and field indoor season is the moment when athletes begin to eye up their opponents and prospects for the summer programme. The Northern Junior Championships at Sheffield was such an opportunity. The hard winter's training is clearly paying off for Liverpool Pembroke Sefton sprinters as demonstrated by Danny Higham who coasted through his heat of the Under 17 400m and then destroyed the opposition in the final with a blistering 51.4. Harry Doran was also on the podium taking the silver in the U17 200m in 23.09 having posted a personal best in the semis of 22.8. If Nathan Hilton could have reproduced his heat time in the final he too might have been a medal winner but had to settle for fourth. Results Meanwhile Mark Grimshaw was at Glasgow`s Kelvin Hall representing the North West in the 4 x 400m relay. He was delighted with his 48.5 leg timing. Report Charles Gains |
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LPS Rare Double
6 January 2007 The Liverpool Pembroke Sefton club pulled off a rare feat in the weekend,s county cross country championships. In the Merseyside Championships staged in front of the picturesque backdrop of Croxteth Hall David Forrester stormed away from the Under 15 field to take the individual title and to also lead his club to a famous victory. Chris Hesketh grabbed the bronze and with Mike Bride 5th and the season`s revelation Edward Rimmer 9th the club were safely home to the county title. Astonishingly 40 miles away in the Lancashire event at Blackburn`s Witton Park LPS were repeating the same result in the same age group. Jake Helm was never tested for the individual title and with his backing trio of Elliot Marsters(5), Paul Roberts(6) and Chris Hatton(13) the team gold was theirs as well. With the Northern and National championships just a few weeks away the club has every reason to feel confident. Back at Witton Park Courtney Birch made a rare but significant appearance in the Senior Women's race. The thrice National champion posted an impressive 4th placing to remind us all of her immense talent. Elsewhere the club`s Under 15 Girls squad, Emma Bowen(10), Emma Binns(14), Toria Swift(21) and Hannah Shirley were delighted with their bronze medals. Steph Swift(8) and Lindsay Nadin((9) at Under 20 ran solidly and may have caught the eye of the selectors for the forthcoming inter-county championships. One who certainly has is Andrew Bowen whose third spot in the Under 17 event underlines his relentless progress. At Croxteth Country Park another performance that impressed was that of Kirsty Longley in the Senior Women`s race. Nursing an injury she paced herself through to seventh a position that could influence the Merseyside selectors. Out of contention for selection is Adam Clansey who finished 14th in the Senior Men`s race but he will be content with his gradual return to form. Breathing down his neck though was Grahama Cairns(15) who astonished everybody by taking the Over 50 title run in conjunction with the championships. Merseyside Results Lancashire Results Report Charles Gains |
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Doran and Bowen third in the
North 1 January 2007
The recently published Northern Under 17
top 10 athletic rankings for 2006 reveal yet another tranche of
Liverpool Pembroke Sefton athletes. It was expected that 400m star
Harry Doran would figure highly after his national 14th placing and
indeed his 400m sub-50 posting of 49.96 puts him third in the
region. Astonishingly three other LPS athletes are ranked in the
same event, Jack McGinn 6th in 50.63, Danny Higham 7th in 50.89 and
Wayne Ashall 9th with 51.3. Sam Hutchinson has had a frustrating
year with injuries but his 1.58.14 for 800m still just makes the top
10. Andrew Bowen, seventh nationally in the 1500m Steeplechase,
transfers to another commendable third in the North. The highly
promising Jacob Shaw finds that his 1.90m High Jump gets him jointly
ranked 7th. While the distance runners now shape up for the
forthcoming cross country championships the sprinters who have
wintered well under coach Ray Twentyman are looking for some early
in the year opportunities to stretch their legs.
Report Charles Gains |