MANY Warrington Athletics Club youngsters produced personal best performances as the curtain came down on the Youth Development League on Saturday.
The final round took place at Victoria Park and the league culminated in Warrington AC finishing in fifth place (provisional result).
In the under 13s age group girls events Olivia Crawford produced a superb run in the A 70 metres hurdles winning in a new personal best time of 11.6 seconds to move her up from 36th to 4th in the UK rankings.
Coach Neal Petley, when he took on Olivia, said he thought he could get her to the top 10 by the end of the season – target achieved!
Olivia also got a personal best in the 75 metres, finishing 2nd in the A race in 10.6 seconds.
In the B race Tallie Wing Lam Sze won in a new personal best time of 10.5 seconds and also got a personal best in the A 150 metres with 20.8 seconds and the A Long Jump with 4.37 metres as she won both.
Other wins came from Annie Noone in the B 800 metres with a personal best time of 2 minutes 48.9 seconds and Abigail Adelani in the A shot putt also with a personal best throw of 7.74 metres.
In the 4x100 metres relay Abigail Adelani, Olivia Crawford, Eva Hayes and Tallie Wing Lam Sze won with the 21st equal fastest time in the UK of 55.6 seconds.
In the boys events, wins came from Alfie Blizzard in the B 800 metres with a time of 2 minutes 36.6 seconds and from Oliver Davenport in the B 1200 metres with 3 minutes 58.2 seconds just 2 tenths outside his best time.
In the A 1200 metres Euan Lawton had a battle with Alfie Evans of Deeside who set a fantastic pace from the gun with Euan a stride behind.
Alfie tried a few times to break away but was always closed down by Euan until they entered the finish straight where Alfie just proved the stronger to take the win with both boys smashing their personal bests, with Euan recording 3 minutes 54.2 seconds to Alfie’s 3 minutes 52.7 seconds.
In the under 15s age group Lewis Shaw was the only individual winner on the day taking the boys' 80 metres hurdles in 12.0 seconds and the long jump with 4.97 metres.
In the throws events Jake Sands set three new personal bests with 9.81 metres in the shot putt, 25.86 metres in the discus, finishing 3rd in both, and finishing 2nd in the Hammer with 32.16 metres moving him up to 28th in the UK rankings.
Match result (provisional):
1 Deeside AAC 696.5 points
2 Leigh H&AC 485.5 points
3 Wigan & District H&AC 408.5 points
4 Warrington AC 401.5 points
5 Bolton United H&AC 388 points
6 Bury AC 316 points
7 Team North Cumbria 213 points
8 Lancaster & Morecambe AC 49 points
League result (provisional):
1 Deeside AAC 31 points 2405.5 points
2 Bolton United H & AC 26 points 2037 points
3 Leigh H & AC 21 points 1984 points
4 Wigan & District H & AC 20 points 1779.5 points
5 Warrington AC 17 points 1838 points
6 Bury AC 17 points 1757 points
7 Team North Cumbria 7 points 1033 points
8 Lancaster & Morecambe AC 5 points 659 points
Warrington Athletic Club’s Katie Lowery, running under Edinburgh University, finished second in the Glasgow Athletics Association Miler meeting women's A race at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow in a new personal best time of 4 minutes 22.62 seconds.
Warrington AC competitors have been contesting a variety of other events across the north west.
The latest edition of the Sale Harriers Airport City Manchester Sale Sizzler 5k road races took place at Wythenshawe Park Manchester and Warrington’s Steve Watmough produced his fastest time for the distance since he turned 60.
He finished in 40th place overall with a time of 16mins 50secs to win the over 60s age group.
The Run Media City 5k road race series continued at Media City, Salford, with two Warrington Athletics Club athletes taking part.
First to finish was Phil Hicken in 10th place with 19mins 54secs.
Phil returned to competition in June last year at the Run Media City race, recording 24mins 57secs and has been steadily reducing his times since with the aim of getting under 20 minutes before he turns 60 towards the end of the year and he has now achieved this.
Faith Roberts was the other club member participating, finishing in 27th place overall and was 7th woman with 23mins 27secs for a new personal best.
The Harrock Hill Race over 5.3 miles took place at the Farmers Arms, Bispham Parbold, with Warrington Athletics Club’s Claire Andrew finishing in 24th place overall and winning the women’s race with 40mins 26secs.
Her prize for winning will come in very useful, it was a box of vegetables.
Steve Burthem also ran under his second-claim club Spectrum Striders, finishing in 36th place in 41mins 52secs to finish second in the over 60s age group.
Six Warrington AC runners took part in the Trafford Athletic Club Distance Grand Prix at Longford Stadium.
In race one of the 3000m series Jack Wadsworth made his debut over the distance, finishing in sixth place and just missing out on breaking nine minutes with 9mins 00.01secs while in race three under 17 Alex Rix also made his debut at the distance finishing in third place with 10mins 08.10secs.
In race five of the 800m series under 17 Ben Pucill finished seventh in 2mins 05.19secs while in race 10 Katie Lowery finished second in a personal best 2mins 10.62secs, taking nearly three seconds off her previous best.
In race 4 of the 1500m series under 20 Orla Gregory was fifth in 4mins 48.84secs with clubmate Rachel McQuillan just behind in sixth place in 4mins 51.39secs.
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