Athletics: Local trio win gold at Northern Inter-Counties Championships

Aug 4 2011 by Paul Wheelock, Chester Chronicle

WEST Cheshire AC members past and present enjoyed success at the Northern Inter-Counties Track & Field Championships.

Leading the charge at the big event in Leigh on Saturday was the in-form Michael Bailiff and his old Wests colleagues Amy Williams and Ross McCormick.

Bailiff cleared a winning height of 1.90m to win the men’s high jump title by 10cm.

Williams added another gold medal to her bulging collection with a comfortable victory in the under 15s girls long jump in 5.38m.

McCormick, who like Williams now competes for Sale Harriers, won his U15s boys 80m hurdles race in a time of 11.31seconds.

Kelly Baker and Olivia Montez-Brown also did West Cheshire AC proud.

Baker powered her way to 11.31m for second spot in the U17s women’s shot while Montez-Brown finished third in the U17s women’s long jump in 5.04m.

Former Wests ace Tess McCormick came close to a medal as she passed the post in fourth in the U17s women’s 3,000m in 10 minutes and 37.78seconds.

West Cheshire AC members Alex Hailes, Matthew Pagan, Alice McMahon, Emma Johnson, Alex Kirk, Max Himbury, Charlotte Williamson, Yousef Khalifa and Sophie Percival also represented Cheshire, who finished fifth.

Final standings: 1 Yorkshire 340 points, 2 North East Counties 300, 3 Lancashire and Isle of Man 266, 4 Greater Manchester 222, 5 Cheshire 206, 6 Lincolnshire 190, 7 Merseyside 174, 8 Derbyshire 168, 9 Humberside 131.

West Cheshire AC youngsters are expected to be in action this weekend at the Northern Under 15s and U17s Track & Field Championships at Cudworth.

Entries close on August 27 for the Cheshire Junior Multi-Events Championships being held in Macclesfield on Sunday, September 11.