| Young Athletes Road Relays The Young Athlete North of England Road Relay Championships were held at Manchester’s Sport city, a fitting start and finish venue even if a somewhat boring course around the adjacent Manchester City’s car parks. Having already attracted some attention by taking silver medals in the Merseyside Championships the previous week the Liverpool Pembroke Sefton Under 15 3 x 3 kilometre squad were already talked about as one of the favourites for the regional title. They did not disappoint. Dave Forrester 8:56 stayed with the usual helter skelter start to hand over to Mike Bride in 9:14. Mike, brimming with confidence, strode into the lead to hand over to Mike McCarten. McCarten 9:25 held this with about 800m to go when the powerful local Sale club came through to collect the gold. The LPS lads though were jubilant with their silver medals but the team management even more overjoyed. A class result with two of the club’s best athletes, Jake Helm and Chris Hesketh, yet to appear. The National Road Relay Championships in Birmingham now beckon before the end of the month and thereafter an intriguing cross country season. The club’s other team in the Under 13s were a little out of luck as Adam Goldfarb lost a shoe early on but his recovery was amazing as he came home 13th. Joe Hanlon(11th) and Warren Turner(10th) improved to demonstrate that the younger squad has similar potential as their older team mates |
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| Mid Lancs Cross Country The opening fixture of the cross country got off to a great start for Liverpool Pembroke Sefton. In sunny conditions at Leyland’s Worden Park the club’s strong Under 15 squad totally dominated the field filling the first four places in the shape of Jake Helm, David Forrester, Chris Hesketh and Mike McBride. This is the group that has already scooped up silver medals in the Merseyside and Northern road relays. It looks like there will be nobody stopping them here in this the Mid-Lancashire League. Andrew Bowen was a comfortable runner-up in his Under 17 race, adrift of the winner by some 25 seconds but confident this can be overcome at the next encounter. With team mates Rob McLoughlin(14), Tom Hanlon(19) and Matthew Lloyd(25) provisionally results indicate they finished third team as did the club`s Under 15 Girls quartet of Emma Binns(9), Emma Bowen(11), Toria Swift(19) and Shirley Hannah(33). Elsewhere the club failed to finish teams although there were solid runs from Joseph Hanlon(18) in the Under 13s, Joe McKenna(7) Junior Men and Steve Donegan(42) Senior Men. But as always there were performances that surprised even team mangers. Most significant was that of Edward Rimmer who finished 8th in the astonishing Under 15 race, a stunning debut. Similarly Jessica Bolton finished 12th in the Under 13 Girls race is now expected to flourish. Taking up the sport relatively late is the cheerful Kirsty Lonsky who ran a very strong 22nd in a field of 88, a run that will do her confidence a power of good. Report Charles Gains Photos Alan Forrester
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| Young Athletes national road relays When coach John McCarten of Liverpool Pembroke Sefton Athletic Club looked at his Under 15 distance runners at the beginning of the autumn season he knew he had something special on his hands. Not only had he got the quality but he also had the depth. After silver medals in the Northern 3 stage relay and a whitewash of the opposition in the recent Mid-Lancashire Cross Country League his team were brimming with confidence as they headed down the motorway to the National Road Relay Championships at Sutton Coldfield to take on the best in the country. But even McCarten was staggered at the maturity of his squad. Dave Forrester on first leg shrugged aside the opposition and coasted home in the lead with a 12.33 timing. The Tarleton High School pair of Chris Hesketh and Jake Helm were to follow, an intimidating prospect for other clubs. Chris was momentarily caught but recovered to maintain the club`s lead in 13.04. Jake Helm(12.36) was anchor man on this occasion and hardly had to breathe heavy to take the club home comfortably from Tonbridge AC, national champions from last spring. The club last achieved this distinction in 1983. The club`s B team figured well in 25th position (Mike Bride 13.22, Paul Roberts 13.57 and Sean Dignam 14.31). The only other team LPS fielded was the Under 17s with Andrew Bowen leading off in 10th place. Tom Hanlon and Rob McLoughlin ran solidly but had to yield ground to powerful opponents finishing 35th.  Forrester Helm Hesketh |
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