Northerns – Macclesfield May 2024

As ever I start by apologising for the delay in getting a report written but I had to miss this one due to some olympiccy thingy messing up all our holiday plans.

Anyway, the outcome of our opening gambit in Macclesfield was testament to a superb team effort from all concerned; clearly far better when I’m not getting in the way !

There may be a few small adjustments due to officials and such like but the positions are unlikely to change and third, so close to perennial rivals the Harriers, was an excellent result. I can only feel proud that we filled so many spots on the card.

There were a few events where we garnered double A&B wins which really racks the points up, notably Ross Harrison and Jon Bride in the 800m, Will Hynd & Charlie Climpson (making his Nth Lge debut) in the javelin and Dakota Backhouse and Isobel Morgan (also debutants) in the high jump.

Individual winners came in the shape of Jon Bride again in the B 400m, Ross Harrison again in the A 1500m. Sandy Clarkson took the A string long jump adding horizontal talent to his established vertical skills. Newcomer Lucci Baker won the A string 800m, a great way to open her LP&S account.

Anna Peers did what she does best scoring 3 A string and 1 B win in the four throws, hard to choose which was her best but she had to give way to young Katelyn Swift in the hammer. As ever Swift & Swift pulled in points all over the place, on the track and in the field.

Another debutant, William Henry put an unusual 100m, 1500m and long jump accumulator together; but it is this versatility that enabled us to cover so much.

The first prize for Mr Flexible has to go to Adam Jones who had FOUR A string runners-up spots in both hurdles, steeplechase and triple jump ! Now that’s some combination !

Jared Nicholls ventured north from the Valleys to do a 100m, 200m & 400m (plus at least one relay) combo, another fab effort.

Chris Melling & Steven Nijs covered the 5,000m places which gave us a full-house in filling the mens flat track events.

Evergreen Mark Crompton who, it would be fair to say, turned senior a few moons ago, was our A string discus, hammer and pole vaulter (backing up Will Hynd in the shot too).

Lucci Baker had her first appearance in red, white & black too, the Jersey lady giving our team and international feel in the 200m & 800m.

After long absences (largely due to unfortunate injuries) it was lovely to see Debbie Crook and Rosie Johnson back in action, even making up half the ladies relay team.

Through all of this there was one easy-to-spot, stand-out result which was obvious even to a field-eventer like me. The performance of the day has got to be Ross Harrisons 1:53.4 min 800m A string win, a PB result of real class that wouldn’t look out of place in the National League. Earlier in the week he’d chipped a few hundredths off his 1500m PB with 3:52.89 min. at the BMC races at Stretford; clearly rounding into form.

On Monday we’ll have four of our younger stars representing Lancashire in the inter-counties at Blackpool. Charlie Climpson has been selected for the U17 shot, MarBel Casey fronts up the U15 shot and hammer while Gaby Taylor will be in the U15 100m and high jump and Sarah Yates tackles the U17 3000m.

Finally paralympic prospect Amy Thompson was close to her shot PB with a 3rd place at the Loughborough throws International; younger than the other competitors she’s juggling her A-levels with training but seems to have found the right balance to manage both.

I’ve made a note to myself to be less tardy in getting future reports on the website. If I have accidentally omitted anybody it’s pure ineptitude, never malice.

Photos below – right mouse click and magnify to enlarge.