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Final League updates
The last of the NJL (Mersey) matches was
held at Ellesmere Port on 29 July . A fairly routine match but
enlivened by a nice Alex Stokes double win(100m 11.5 and 200m 23.3)
and other A first placing from Elliot Marsters(400mH 64.1), Andy
Bowen(2000m SC 6.29.3), Tony West (Hammer 38.46) and Faye Atkins (HJ
1.60). Numerous sterling efforts including a men's 4 x 100m and 4 x
400m relay wins carried the club to second on the day behind
Cheshire Tigers and second overall. Generally a satisfactory outcome
to the season but it is unlikely LPS will want to contest the
qualifying match for the next layer of competition.
Report Charles Gains
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More European success for LPS...Gold for Wayne
Ashall 29 July
In a history stretching back almost 120 years Liverpool Pembroke and
Sefton have rarely enjoyed such a great track and field season with
athletes performing at the highest levels. Perhaps the most surprising
result, though, came from 17 year old Wayne Ashall of Scarisbrick and a
student at Ormskirk School. He started the year struggling to beat 50
seconds for 400m but in the National Championships lopped nearly two
seconds of that time to record 48.44 and propel himself into fourth spot
on the Under 18 rankings. Recognising his potential the selectors
immediately picked him for the European Youth Festival in Belgrade. It
was to be an astonishing debut.
Wayne coasted through the heats of the 400m and looked a definite medal
prospect for the Final but a niggling injury slowed him to 49.37 and he
struggled home 8th. However, his hopes were not completely dashed as he
was part of the Great Britain 4 x 100m relay squad which simply got
better and better as it progressed to the Final. The quartet were never
headed and their slick baton changing carried them to victory in a fine
41.6 timing. So Wayne found himself on the top level of the podium
receiving a gold medal. The stuff that dreams are made of.
Meanwhile at the televised UK Championships and World Championships
Trials at Manchester`s Sportcity Ashall`s team mate, Michael Rimmer, was
defending his national title. The 21 year old had been parading his
talent abroad throughout the season culminating in him gaining second
place in the European Cup but, more importantly, posting fast times. At
Manchester his opponents were clearly in awe of his talent and showed no
desire to lead so Michael had to take it on solo. A first lap in 53.05
did not suggest a fast time but he was already soaring away from the
field and in the finishing straight could afford to look around casually
as he recorded 1.47.06. The selectors will surely be impressed with such
a commanding performance and he should find himself on the plane to
Osaka, Japan for the World Championships in late August.
Both Wayne and Michael will spare a thought for LPS`s other major star,
Phil Taylor who collected a gold medal as part of the GB 4 x 400m team
in the European Indoor Championships earlier in the year.He too looked
on course for an amazing outdoor season but persistent injury reduced
him here to a modest 48.4 400m in the Trials and no place in the Final.
He will park his disappointment and spend the winter dealing with the
injury and concentrating hard on next year. The year 2007 has been kind
to LPS but with such a lot of talent in the pipeline 2008 could be even
more rewarding.
Report Charles Gains
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Double Athlete of the Match Award 23 July
The final match of the Northern Young Athlete Premier League was played
out at Liverpool`s Wavertree Stadium. Liverpool Pembroke Sefton needed
at least third spot to retain membership of this division in 2008 and
this they duly achieved but not without a very tough scrap indeed with
the evenly matched Southport, West Cheshire and Preston squads. From the
LPS point of view it was a workmanlike performance but given a special
boost with two Athlete of the Match awards. Nathan Hilton's sparkling
Under 17 Grade 1 400m win in 50.9 was not entirely unexpected given his
huge talent but the really big surprise was tucked away in the Under 13
Girl's High Jump where second placer Zoe Rafferty leapt 1.39m to catch
the eye of the judges. For some time the club's jumpers have played
second fiddle to the runners and throwers but the broad smile on the
face of coach, Dave McComb, at Zoe's breakthrough suggests great things
to come from this burgeoning group.
Grade 3 and Grade 4 performances proliferated as point gathering became
the order of the day but there were four significant Grade 2 efforts. At
Under 15 Mike Bride raced to a 1500m win in 4.33.4, Brad Brennan threw a
useful 30.48m Discus and Jessica Broady reciprocated in the Girls event
with 22.76m. Under 13 800m mini-star Eleanor Miitchell also scored a
convincing 800m victory in 2.31.6 but the event that will, perhaps, be
best remembered on this distinctly unseasonable day came from Under 13
George Curran. In his first race over 1500m he was running comfortably
with the leading group when the heavens opened and a torrential downpour
ensued. This had a distinctly off putting effect on the field but the
LPS athlete responded in a mature and convincing fashion charging away
to a 5.01.3 win. It is a day he will remember.
Report Charles Gains
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Rimmer on course for World Championships 15 July
Michael Rimmer's mini-tour of Europe took in a major meeting in
Lausanne where he won a B 800m race in 1.47.17 followed by a televised
Golden League meeting in Rome where again, against formidable
international opposition, he collected a respectable 5th spot in
1.46.57. His preparations for the World Championships in Japan look on
course.
His next generation Liverpool Pembroke Sefton colleagues were elsewhere
picking up medals. At the prestigious English Schools Championships in
Birmingham, again televised, there were two bronze medals. Harry Doran
was an outstanding Inter-Boys third placing in the 400m with a time of
of 48.95. If he could have reproduced his semi-final winning time of
48.51, a personal best, he will reflect that he could have collected the
gold. In the Junior 200m Adam Thomson ratcheted up a succession of fine
200m times but could only run 7th in the final. However, his basic speed
earned him a 4 x 100m relay spot in the Merseyside team that collected
third. Wayne Ashall's mind was on his forthcoming international
appearance but will be reasonably pleased with a 7th place in the final
of the Senior 400m in 48.98.
It was miserable weather at Bolton for the rest of the club's senior
members as they contested the penultimate match in their Northern League
division. Struggling somewhat after the first two encounters the club
needed to get its best out and this transpired. A particular delight was
the return of former international Courtney Birch, a runaway winner of
the 3000m in 10.20.3, and in the same race the courageous support act
and B Race winner, Kirsty Longley. A third place in a 10K Road Race,
second in a 5K race and here a sparkling personal best 3K time of
10.54.6 and all in one week is astounding result for Kirsty. June Swift
was also in good form winning her A 800m race in 2.15.3 with her team
mate Emma Bowen doing likewise with 2.26.3 in the B race. At this level
simply covering events is important and it was a day for unsung heroines
like sprinters Rebecca Lea, Jessica Ryan and Cathy Jackson , together
with other middle distancers, Emma Binns and Toria Swift plus in field
events stalwarts Natalie Walsh, Rachel Hutchinson, Faye Atkins and Abby
McComb.
The men were also in good form. Lots of top placing and in particular
Alex Stokes(1st 100m in 11.2) and an eye catching B double for Michael
Zaim(100m in 11.3 and 200m in 23.4). Mark Grimshaw was an untroubled
400m winner in 49.8 but the serious point scoring was done in the field
events with Dave Readle and veteran Mark Line interchanging first and
second placing in the throws to the discomfort of the opposition. In the
end though it was simply a day for point scoring and keeping the club at
this level of competition. The members duly obliged with second spot
behind a strong Bolton club.
Report Charles Gains
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Great run from Kirsty Longley
 Liverpool
Pembroke Sefton's Kirsty Longley had a fantastic run in the Penny Lane
Strider's 10K Road race. She fought her way past some talented opponents
to break her own personal best by over two minutes in 38.59. Better
still she finished third in the Women's race won by Liverpool Harriers
international Jenny Clague. Her overall position was 52nd in a field
approaching 500. This result comes after a really tough winter's
training and racing under the supervision of coach Mark Bleasdale. She
now looks forward to beating her personal best 3000m track time in a
forthcoming league match.
Report Charles Gains
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Phil Taylor in Barcelona 1st
July
After a fabulous indoor season Liverpool
Pembroke Sefton's international 400m runner has struggled with
injury and is just emerging in the outdoor scene. His times have
been for him modest and he forsook the poor weather in Britain for a
meeting in Barcelona. Here again bad luck dogged him and the
conditions were blustery. Although he won his event in 48.2 this was
about a second off the time he was looking for. His options are now
running this season out but it would only take one good result to
set him back on course.
The third local Junior Northern Division
League match was close by at the new track in Litherland. There are
many questioning the survival of this league as the attendance was
once again poor. The LPS highlights included an Alex Stokes
double(100m in 11.1 and 200m in 23.1) supported by the club`s latest
international Wayne Ashall taking the B 100/200m. There was a very
pleasant and confident return to form of Jack McGinn(400m in 51.2)
and predictable wins from Danny Gordon(3000m in 9.48.4) and Andrew
Bowen(2000m Steeplechase in 6.38.1). Tony West`s Hammer throwing is
very impressive indeed and his 36.63m was well clear of his rivals.
Similarly Darren Bosuana is emerging as a talented Javelin thrower
with a winning cast of 37.74m. The men`s 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relay
squads are rarely challenged and this remained so at Litherland. The
women were less successful on this occasion but Abby McComb and
Rachel Hutchinson are amazingly prolific in gathering points across
several events. Their efforts went a long way towards the club
securing second team spot on the day with 285 points, a mere six
points behind Wigan.
Report Charles Gains
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