| English Schools CC Champs 20 March These championships were held at Manchester's Heaton Park in wet, miserable and muddy conditions. From an LPS point of view it bore the hallmark of an end-of-season outing with only a handful of participants. Toria Swift running for Lancashire will not be pleased with her 178th Senior spot after some stirring runs in the previous weeks. The rest of the club's entrants were Merseyside. Junior James Grundy's performances are usually thought of as `solid' but he has edged forward this year and in finishing 64th he gave evidence of steady progress through the ranks. Jai Vernon-McGuigan is always `value for money' and his 80th placing and third counter helped Merseyside to a reasonably healthy 11th Inter team slot. Mike Bride in the same race was 214th. |
| LPS at Birmingham 13 March Cofton Park adjacent to the former Longbridge car factory was the Birmingham venue for the televised Inter-counties championships and world trials. Once again Under 20 Rhea Ellis showed her class hanging in grimly throughout and accelerating home to virtually replicate her National Championship run with 24th spot and leading the Merseyside team to 16th team placing. In the same race there was a determined showing from long striding Toria Swift in 87th but this time in a Lancashire vest. Another to spearhead Merseyside was Senior Kirsty Longley(91) with her side 19th plus Lindsay Doyle(203) also making the counting team. Jai Vernon-McGuigan at U17 grows in stature, his 64th evidence of his courage and assisting his team to 17th. Completing the club's Merseyside contingent James Grundy was 150th, fourth counter locally in a 16th placed squad. Report Charles Gains |
| Treble joy 6 March The final Mid-Lancs Cross Country League match was at Barrow and it was essential that Liverpool Pembroke Sefton make the long trip if their Under 15s were to ensure the coveted title. Coach John McCarten urged commitment and he got it in abundance from the squad as Alistair Nelson took command of the race and romped home 20 seconds clear. James Grundy has looked impressive all  season
and his third spot was a just reward. George Curran similarly gave it is
his all with fifth and David Reece(12) wrapped up the team result with
Rob Parkinson(15) not far adrift. With LPS having already comfortably
secured the U17 title this could be deemed an even more satisfying
result carved out of sheer rugged perseverance.If Alistair Nelson is Burscough's delight Jack Crook can claim to be Ormskirk's star in the waiting. The Under 11 has had a string of excellent runner up spots to his credit but Cumbria's far outpost will be' remembered by him as the moment he strode home alone down the finishing funnel. He will be looking forward with relish to the championships of next season. Also with him were the Bousique-Green brothers, Paul(14) and Colin(28). Another of the family popped up in the U13s, Dillan(18), with battling Jonathan Bride(21) whose year long doggedness deserves special mention. Results Nothing's secret Clark Roberts turned out in a 5K Park Run in Coventry hoping not to be noticed but our ever-vigilant team spotted that he was sixth with a time of 18.26. He`ll have his leg pulled when he next appears in Ormskirk.
Report Charles Gains
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