Last weekend saw the annual County Championships at Blackpool (Lancashire) and Wavertree (Merseyside). I will apologies now if I have missed anybody competing in another county but I think I’ve got you all. I’ll start with Lancashire ‘cos I was there and managed to catch a few of the performances.
Our under-15’s (especially the ladies) were out in force medal-hunting with the irrepressible Gaby Taylor. A little unfortunately in the 100m she was hauled back to silver after leading for 90% of the race. She did, however, comeback to win the high jump the following day with clear water between her and the rest of the field. As if to prove LPS believe in gender equality, William Roberts won the boys version to put two county champions in Dave McCombs squad. To underline his strength-in-depth Poppy Abraham, Jessica Gamble and Millie Oliver were 4th, 5th & 6th in the same comp ! Miss Gamble also won through to the final of the 100m, always one to the more hotly contested events.
For the under 15 boys Ben Maitland took 5 seconds off his 1500m PB in a hard-fought race on the hottest day of the year !
Poppy Abraham was not to go home empty handed as she picked up the javelin title ahead of two of her training buddies from Blackpool.
Moving up to the under 17 age group MarBel Casey took a surprise gold in the ladies hammer; surprising because she managed not to throw it out of the stadium. To show she has other strings to her bow she also claimed the discus title and a silver in the shot.
On to the the senior age group and there was an excellent gold and bronze combination in the mens 100m with Ciaran Scroggie becoming the champion and Morgan Greaves-Thomas joining him on the podium for the bronze.
Continuing the sprinting theme Mark Roberts took bronze in the senior mens 400m. Still some way from his former best, he is clearly making good progress along the comeback trail.
Anna Peers opened up her precious metal exchange for business dealing in two golds, a silver and a bronze. As well as discus she is now javelin champion again for approximately the 46th consecutive time (or so she’d have you believe when you mention age).
A little further South some attended the Merseyside Championships at Wavertree Stadium.
Again I’ll begin with the youngest of our stars, and a real talent this young lady is for sure. Under 13 Grace Byrom was 4th in the final of the 75m and the long jump but is another of our county champions, this time in the shot. That is genuine all-round talent.
On to the under 15’s Anna Halliwell had a busy day sprinting, then picking up a bronze in the long jump and adding another in the hurdles. It must be decades since we last had a hurdles medallist; big shout out to hurdles coach Nic Christie.
For the boys side in the same age group Bentley Mckintosh finished an unlucky 4th in the 800m but an excellent performance for his debut on the track.
On to the under 17 ladies and we come to our next champion. Izzy Grayson followed her silver in the hammer with gold in shot. She is the third generation Grayson/Hutchinson to grace the throwing scene at LPS (I still think mum hasn’t thrown her last hammer yet !)
Our only under 20 was James Read doubling up with the 200m & 400m winning the latter to continue a long line of quarter-mile success for the club.
I’ve deliberately saved the best story of the weekend until last. Our final county champion for 2025 is Iain Wilkinson who took the javelin title (to add to his silver in the shot). This he did with the aid of someone else’s liver; this man is the best advert for organ donation you could get, what he has gone on to achieve with his new lease of life is truly humbling.
And that (he says hoping he hasn’t missed anyone out) is the tale of LPS at the County Champs 2025 ! Dave Brown
Our County Champions :
Lancashire
Senior Men 100m Ciaran Scroggie
Senior Ladies Javelin Anna Peers
Senior Ladies Discus Anna Peers
Under 17 Ladies Hammer MarBel Casey
Under 17 Ladies Discus MarBel Casey
Under 15 Ladies Javelin Poppy Abraham
Under 15 Ladies High Jump Gaby Taylor
Under 15 Boys High Jump William Roberts
Merseyside
Senior Men Javelin Iain Wilkinson
Under 20 Men 400m James Read
Under 17 Ladies Hammer Izzy Grayson
Under 13 Girls Shot Grace Byrom
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