GOLF: A Hartford High School pupil chipped in for a podium finish in the Junior British Golf Championship.

Jack Duncalf earned third place at the showcase final hosted by Woodhall Spa Country Club in Lincolnshire.

He qualified for the final after finishing as runner-up at a three-day event semi-final at Wildwood Golf and Country Club in Surrey.

Before that he had won three out of four Graham Moore Junior Golf Tour events held at Styal, Hawkstone Park, The Belfry and Portal.

Jack said: “It was really tiring and hard work but I’m really happy with coming third. I’d like to win it one day – maybe next year.”

Rocking and rolling

ATHLETICS: Vale Royal star Nicky Archer was in winning form in the United States after she claimed victory in the Rock and Roll Arizona half marathon.

The 23-year-old former Weaverham High School runner won the 13.1-mile race despite suffering a bad case of blisters just after the halfway mark.

“There’s nothing you can do about it,” said Archer. “You just live with it.

“I got support out there from the people around the course. It was a good race.”

Archer is studying for a master’s degree in Sports Administration at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and has proved a huge success for the Lobos athletics team there.

In Arizona, Archer finished one minute 24 seconds ahead of runner-up Hayley Benson of Queen Creek.

Vale Royal coach Sean McGrath said: “She’s a great role model for our juniors.”

Prize perch is enough

ANGLING: Mike Smith reeled in victory in Barnton and Frodsham AC’s club match on Saturday on Heesom’s Pool.

His 6-12-9, including a perch of 2.5lbs, was enough to beat Dave Blears, with 4-11-11 of roach and skimmers, and third-placed Terry Middleton, with 4-6-7 of skimmers and roach.

The first round of the six-match series for the Amanda Lester Cup was held on the Top and Middle Cisterns on Sunday morning.

Steve Walker took maximum points with 3-10-0, ahead of Calvin Tagg with 0-9-14 and Blears with 0-9-0.

The top slot in last Wednesday’s match on Heesom’s Pool was filled by Middleton. He landed skimmers and roach to weigh in with 2-14-12 in front of runner-up Bob Foster and Mark Emmison.

Ruth leaps for silver

COLLEGE SPORT: Ruth Howard, who is a Lower Sixth student at Sir John Deane’s College, won a silver medal in the triple jump at the Northern Athletics Under 20s Championships at the weekend.

The Vale Royal athlete claimed the runner-up spot by leaping 10.63m, followed closely in third by clubmate Eleanor Owen (10.12m) at the event held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.