Boys win gold at North of England Championships (From Warrington Guardian)

Boys win gold at North of England Championships

WARRINGTON Athletics Club's under 15s boys' team secured gold medals at the North of England Cross Country Championships in Blackburn on Saturday.

Stephen Broadhurst finished eighth with Danny Cliffe 12th, Matt Jackson 16th and Matt O'Neill 26th to give the team a comfortable victory. Mike Stewart also ran and finished 111th.

Heather Timmins put in the club's best individual performance as she finished in fifth place in the under 17s girls' event.

She was supported by Rheannon Rainford, 50th, Lucy Gemmell, 53rd, and Sophie Stephens, 69th, as the team took the bronze medals. Kirsty Young was the club's other runner in the race and finished 75th.

Timmins then followed up her good display by acting as a guide runner to help the visually impaired Alison Patrick into an excellent 33rd position in the under 20s women's race, with Emma Makin finishing 43rd.

Rachel Jefferson led home the under 13s girls' team, who finished sixth overall, with a 34th-place finish ahead of Vicky Hamilton, 37th, Katie Ashcroft, 48th, and Shauny Wilkinson, 56th. Sophie Kerr, 78th, Megan Ashcroft, 90th, and Heather Beeton, 173rd, also ran.

Louise Sullivan was the first Warrington runner across the line as the under 15s girls finished in 11th, with Amy Talbot 64th, Katie Vandewalle 71st and Jenny Beeton 130th.

Jade Llewellyn was unable to complete the course because of illness.

Warrington finished 15th in the senior women's race, with Jenny Smith 25th, Sarah Hardy 89th, Suzanne Andrews 158th and Claire Irons 195th. Emma Dartnell did not finish due to injury.

A total of 12 runners entered the under 13s boys' race and the team finished in seventh position thanks to Tom Jervis, 18th, Luke Johnston, 38th, Ryan O'Neill, 72nd, and Danny Jackson, 94th.

The club's non-counting runners were Luke Jackson, 107th, Stephen Darbyshire, 120th, Will Phelps, 122nd, Alex Smith, 124th, Mike Gregg, 139th, Ben Jewitt, 140th, Adam Jefferson, 150th, and Mike Hilton, 156th.

Lawrence Walker was the club's only finisher in the under 17s boys' event, crossing the line in 35th position.

Paul Dodsworth was first across the line for Warrington in the senior men's race despite falling in a muddy section on the first lap and losing a shoe in the same place on the second lap.

Dodsworth finished 126th, ahead of Dominic Mahon, 155th, Neil Ashcroft, 181st, and Dave Pryor, 222nd.