Young Athletes SportsHall results

Shrewsbury athletes performed well at the final meeting of the Shropshire Sportshall League held at the Marches Sports Hall, Oswestry.

The Under 11 Girls team of Jessica Clarkson, Eleanor Fox, Katie Dixon, Francesca Scott, Emily Carter and Emily Armstrong won on the day, scoring a total of 88 points to finish ahead of Telford (75 points). The team scored maximum points in the Vertical Jump with Francesca 1st (44 cms) and Katie 2nd (43 cms) and Jessica won the Soft Javelin with a throw of 14m 80cms.

The girls had to settle for second place overall with 15 league points to Telford's 18 league points.

The Under 11 Boys team, which has been very depleted this year and therefore not in contention for the team trophy, put in its best performance of the season with a fine second place overall at Oswestry - 71 points, only six points behind first placed Telford. James Yewbrey was in fine form in the field events with a win in the Vertical Jump - 42 cms and second place in the Soft Javelin 16m 10 cms. Harry Harding won the 6 Laps A race and Joe Morris won the 2 laps Hurdles B race.

Well done to the Shrewsbury team of Joe Morris, James Yewbrey, Harry Dowley, Harry Harding & Jack Hall .

The Shrewsbury Under 13 Girls team has performed consistently well all season and were very much in contention for the team trophy going into the final meeting. At Oswestry they had a close battle with Telford with Telford just coming out on top - 82 points to Shrewsbury's 79. There were victories for Jordan Hll and Amy Bickle - 2 Laps and Sally Joyce -6 laps.

When the scores were added up Shrewsbury won overall with 18 league points to Telford's 17 - to take the team trophy. Congratulations to the whole team - Sally Joyce, Jordan Hall, Hollie Williamson, Hannah Parton, Amy Bickle and Isabel Lewington.

Tom Turner, Ross Kirby and Stuart Duff turned out at Oswestry, scoring 37 points which placed the team third overall on the day.

Stuart won the 2 laps B race, Tom was second in the 2 laps A race and Ross finished in second place in the 3 laps B race. Ross and Stuart both jumped 1m 84 in the Standing Long Jump.

Hopefully next year the club can build on this success and challenge for further honours.

Severn River Loop Results

Severn Loop Winter 5K Report 14/2/11


Shrewsbury Athletic Club’s Severn Loop Winter 5K Race finally took place on Sunday at the Quarry Park, Shrewsbury. Originally postponed because of snow and ice, the rescheduled race looked under threat once again when, a few days before the race, half the course became submerged by river flood water. However, the waters receded in time for the race to go ahead, and despite the wet and windy conditions, a total of 93 senior and junior runners turned out. Winner of the 5K race was Joe Brocklehurst of Stratford on Avon Athletic Club, with an impressive display, leading from the start to win comfortably in a time of 15/32, just a few seconds outside the course record. He was pursued all the way by Jamie Loxham of Stockport Harriers, 2nd in 16/04 and Pete Butler of Oswestry Olympians 3rd in 16/22.

In the Womens’ Race, Welsh International, Anna Bartlett of Shrewsbury Athletic Club, took time out from the fell running scene to win in 19/48, followed by Helena Bramwell of Shropshire Shufflers 2nd in 20/16 and Lauren Davies of Oswestry Olympians 3rd in 21/31.

The Junior Mens’ Event was dominated by Shrewsbury School, with pupils, George Mallett 1st in 16/27, Cal Winwood 2nd in 16/32 and Edward Mallett 3rd in 17/42.




Start of the race, with winner Brocklehurst (94), Loxam (100) and Butler (107) at the fore.



Junior Race gets underway.

In the Junior 2K Race, Ross Kirby dominated the boy’s race from the start, winning in 8/41, followed by Tom Wilde 2nd in 9/22 and Douglas Harper 3rd in 9/42. In the girls race, Lucy Grime was equally impressive, winning in 10/14, with Jessica Harper 2nd in 11/39 and Josie Williams 3rd in 11/56.

Other Age Category winners: Male Veteran over 35, Gary Cartright, unattached in 19/25, Male Veteran over 40, Kevin Francis of Shrewsbury Athletic Club in 18/01, Male Veteran over 45, Harvey Morgan of Oswestry Olympians in 18/53, Male Veteran over 50, Tony Power of Telford Athletic Club in 17/34, Male Veteran over 55, Peter Johnson of Mercia Fell Runners in 20/44 and Male Veteran over 60, Jonathon Pierce of Telford Harriers in 21/28.

Female Veteran over 35, Joanne Renshaw unattached in 24/17, Female Veteran over 40( 3rd Female Overall) Sue Kneill-Boxley of Cannock and Staffs AC in 21/11, Female Veteran over 45, Sue Lloyd of Wrekin Road Runners in 25/51, Female Veteran over 50, Vicki Gill unattached in 27/39, Female Veteran over 55, Gill Welsby of Shropshire Shufflers in 25/52, Female Veteran over 60, Jude Gardner unattached.

The Severn Loop Summer 5K race will take place on Friday 17th June 2011 in the Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, starting at 7.30pm, with the Junior 2K Race starting at 6.45pm.


Results and full category winners are available using the link on the right hand side of the page, race photography can be found on http://www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk/severnloop2011.html

Cross Country Round Up

Lilleshall Cross Country 22/1/11
Sixteen runners from Shrewsbury Athletic Club competed in the fourth fixture in the North Wales Cross Country League at a cold and foggy Lilleshall. Despite the gloomy conditions, Club spirits were lifted by the return of Club legend Mike James, who, although not fully fit, turned out to help his clubmates in the latter stages of what has been a very competitive cross country season. He took up his customary position, leading the side home in 16th place, pursued all the way by Kevin Francis in 17th place, then Dom Kirby 24th, Club captain Graham Jones 33rd, Steve France 44th and Steve Turk 53rd to complete the team placings. The Club are hoping to take a strong squad to the final fixture at Oswestry on 5th February.
Other finishers: 56th Paul Clark, 79th Steve Waters, 91st Nick Jones, 96th Steve Oliver, 101st Duncan Rose, 102nd Derek Owen.

In the Womens, Race, Claire Burgoyne was once again in top form, leading the team home in 4th place, with Anna Bartlett 9th, Emma Sheekey 47th and Sheila Richards 66th.

Womens team ready for the off at Lilleshall - left to right - Anna, Emma, Claire & Sheila.



Oswestry Cross Country 6/2/11
Shrewsbury Athletic Club brought their North Wales Cross Country League campaign to a successful conclusion at Oswestry on Saturday, where, in stark contrast to the freezing foggy conditions at Lilleshall, the runners this time had to battle against gale force winds and driving rain. In the absence of Pete Middleton through injury, his fellow Shrewsbury School master Ian Howarth lead the side home through the muddy conditions in 9th place, followed by Kevin Francis 14th and Dom Kirby 22nd. Next came Paul Clark 36th, Chris Wakeman 50th and Steve Turk 60th, all three rising to the occasion to complete the team placings in the absence of running colleagues also absent through injury. The team were rewarded with 2nd place team for the Series and 1st Veterans team and with individual honours for the Series going to Club Captain Graham Jones, 1st in the Veteran over 50 category, Paul Clark 3rd Veteran over 50 and Kevin Francis 2nd Veteran over 40.

In the Womens’ Race, Claire Burgoyne who, this season has leapt up the finishing order by some 20 places compared to last season to a consistent top four finisher, concluded the season in her customary 4th place, with Anna Bartlett, always in close contention in 5th and Sheila Richards 83rd. Claire can now look forward to further success, when she defends her Senior Womens’ title in this summer’s Telford Sexarathon.

Other Oswestry Results:
68th Sean Hickey, 83rd Nick Jones, 90th Duncan Rose, 94th Dan Fleetwood, 101st Steve Oliver, 102nd Derek Owen.


Mens team lined up at Oswestry, left to right:
Derek Owen, Dom Kirby, Chris Wakeman, Steve Turk, Steve Oliver, Ian Howarth, Nick Jones, Kev Francis, Sean Hickey, Paul Clark, Duncan Rose, with Welsh Internationals Richard Roberts and Arwel Lewis




Telford 10K
Four runners competed in the Telford 10K, with Matthew Marston finishing 43rd in 36/34, Chris Wakeman 75th and 2nd Vet over 50 in 39/32, Adam Stockwell 224th in 47/56 and Emma Sheekey 290th and 7th Female Vet over 35 in 51/04.

Midland Counties XC Championships

29th January 2011

A small team of the clubs Juniors travelled to Leamington Spa to compete in the Midlands Counties Cross Country Championships last weekend.

With the U13 team loosing Stuart Duff to an unfortunate race day injury, it was left to Ross Kirby & teammate Freddie Turner to fly the club colours in the first race of the day.
The 3k course, which took in the climb up the 'Beacon', was run on firm ground after an overnight frost. With a frenetic pace from the off, as was the case in all the Championship races, the lads slotted into the pack and moved through on the 1st small lap. Kirby relished the climbs, as has been the case this season, and managed to move through a number of positions while Turner held his position strongly on this section after a good injection of pace leading into the climb.
Both navigated the stream without major problems, and were strong finishers in 55th and 86th places.

The U15s also travelled without a key athlete, this time Ben Ashcroft, missing through a training injury sustained on Long Mynd. Club mates Ryan Cullen and George Speakman, who have enjoyed success this season with medals in the SYAL XC league and the Shropshire Championships again ran well in this major competition.
Ryan took the mantle as leading Shrewsbury athlete from the off and ran a strong race over the 4k course as he tried to keep with the leading group. George, returning from injury was slightly further back but competing strongly with a strong group who worked well across the terrain.
It was Cullen who maintained his lead over George to finish 41st, with Speakman only 30seconds further back in 64th place despite showing his outstanding jumps technique to tackle the stream with ease and style!

All the lads equitted themselves very well on the big stage and can be more than happy with their efforts on the day.

U13
55th - Ross Kirby - 14' 15s
86th - Freddie Turner - 15' 27s

U15
41st - Ryan Cullen - 16' 25s
64th - George Speakman - 16' 56s