Athletics: Girls lead Cheshire to county top three in Mason Trophy

Jun 25 2009 by Alec Doyle, Chester Chronicle

CHESHIRE girls finished second at the Mason Trophy inter-counties meeting at Birmingham’s Alexandra Stadium.

They helped Cheshire finish third overall at the championships.

The boys didn’t fare so well, but individually many of the athletes in both the boys and girls squads made qualifying times for the English Schools Championships, meaning they are eligible for the Cheshire team to go to the games.

Alice McMahon led off with a 200m A sprint victory in the junior girls.

She was joined in the medals by fellow junior girls Rebecca Preston (2nd, 100m A), Danielle Wallis (2nd, 1,500m A) and Jade Evans (2nd, 1,500m B).

In the field events Alice Jennings was second in the high jump A, with Poppy Crookes (2nd, high jump B), Kelly Baker (3rd, shot A), Emily Maddison (2nd, shot B) and Lauren Roberts (3rd, discus A).

In the same age group the boys started well, Josh Platt running second in the 100m A and A Lancaster the same in the 100m B.

An 800m A victory for Jack Gleave and B second for J Ayres plus a B 1,500m win for J Hobson and a 200m B victory for D Wilson stood out.

Michael Bailiff was third in the A high jump and Matthew Spencer struck A silver in the shot.

Victoria Anderson led the way for the inter girls with high jump A gold. Team-mate Jade Bramall took the event’s B gold.

Danielle Bentley topped the javelin A standings.

Alix Barton was second in the B hammer and there were medals for Hannah Paver (2nd, 800m B), Gemma Hale (3rd, sprint hurdles B), Abi Fitzpatrick (3rd, 300/400m hurdles A) and Danielle Erskine (2nd, 300/400m hurdles B).

Finally the inter boys turned some heads in the sprints.

Liam Clowes, a 200m sprinter, guest-ran in the 100m and hit 10.9 sec, enough for second place.

He then went on to win the 200m A by more than half a second.

Reece Davies and A Nicholls had the long-jump sewn up with A and B victories respectively.

Other medallists were Mike Koral (2nd, triple jump A), C Tacagni (2nd, triple jump B), Sam Dykes (3rd, 800m A), Chris Goodwin (3rd, 1,500m A), L Kinch (2nd, 3,000m B), Tom Booth (2nd, 300/400m hurdles A), Alex Wort (2nd, 300/400m hurdles B), Callum Murray (2nd, Steeplechase A) and Luke Johnston (Steeplechase B).