There was a great deal going on this week for athletes from Wolverhampton & Bilston AC. We’ll start were we had the most representation from the club at the Midlands Road Relays where the younger brigade scooped medals in one of the most competitive events of the autumn season.
The U13 boys claimed a superb silver medal with Theo Ulfig taking the first leg in 13.49 handing over to Rocco Hawley with the club in 7th place, Rocco stormed round in 13.22 to take the lead and Seb Palmer brought the club home in 2nd place with a 14.10 leg and a total time of 41.21, around 30 seconds behind Cheltenham & County Harriers. Rocco also claimed the second fastest leg of the day. The U13 girls placed 12th in a total time of 49.54 with Lila Pearce taking the first leg on 14.40 with the club in 2nd place, Biba Guest ran 16.31 with the club in 3rd place, Gracie Billett ran a third leg in 18.43. Lila claimed the third fastest leg of the day.
There was a 13th place finish for the U15 girls team in a total time of 48.25 with Grace Hendy running 14.29, Kiki Guest 16.02 and Erin Mia Nash 17.54. The U17 mens team claimed a silver medal with the runners up spot behind Mansfield Harriers in 37.26 with Sam Thursfield running 12.37, Jack Stockton ran 12.26 to put the club in the 2nd spot with Oliver Cresswell clocking a rapid 12.15 to maintain that position. Oliver’s leg was the 10th fastest. The U17 women took 6th place with Megan White running 15.11, Ronni Read 16.23 and Zolka Mzuku charging through the field with a 15.04 leg, only 10 seconds off 4th place with 46.30.
The Senior mens team claimed a 44th place finish in a total time of 2.07.27 with James Neilson leading the team out in a massive field of 115 athletes clocking 20.03, Dylan Illidge ran 21.02 for the 2nd leg, Dan Maskew ran a 3rd leg in 20.09, Alex Kelly clocked 21.41, Joe Flatley took leg 5 in 22.48 and Steve Newman finished things off with 21.44. The Senior ladies team placed 11th in 1.08.42 with Lorna Hulme running 17.06 for their 1st leg, Beth Tabor 16.19 handing over to Maria Calliea who took leg 3 in 18.30 and Lucie Tait-Harris brought the club home with a last leg of 16.47 making up 8 places.
We had decided to put out the best mens masters team available in the hope of claiming a medal, even if this was to the detriment of the seniors team and jeopardising National Road Relays qualification. Unfortunately, they fell short by a mere 70 seconds, last week’s National Cross Country leaving a couple of big hitters injured and either out altogether or not quite a full speed. Despite this the A team finished in an impressive 5th place in a total time of 2.02.00 with Luke Maskew taking the first leg in 19.15, Paul Marson was off next with 21.15, Gary Worrall taking leg 3 with 21.12, Jon Hart flying round leg 4 in 18.28, Tom Isherwood clocking 20.27 and Ben Foster finishing in 21.13. The B team was led out by Dave Norman who was promoted from the C team to cover another injury gap clocking 26.12, Ashley Atkinson ran 21.08, Dave Newport 23.20, Lee Pearson 23.06, Paul Clarke 33.23 after changeover issues and Paul Rogers made his club debut after being a Tipton stalwart for almost half a century with a final leg of 23.25. This placed the B team 21st in 2.30.34. After late drop outs the club also fielded an incomplete C team with Adam Guy clocking 25.15, Rob Edwards 27.16 and Mark Illidge, showing commitment to the cause having only flown into Birmingham on race day morning, finishing in 26.23.
Also, on Saturday members of the club competed in another edition of the Black Country Hammerfest at Telford, and like in a Marvel film thunder and lightning accompanied the throwing of hammers. Amelia Hancock claimed 1st U20 in comp A1 with a throw of 37.76, Veinos Abdullah was 1st U17 with 38.94 and Georgina Neilson was 2nd U17 with 37.55. It was a similar return in comp A2 with Amelia throwing 38.66 for 1sy U20, Veinos was 2nd U17 with 37.67 and Georgina threw a huge PB of 41.38 to take 1st U17. Ethan Kendrick threw 53.83 the furthest U17 throw and the 2nd longest in the comp B2 pool.
Twenty-four hours later there was action on the tarmac in the Stafford 10k with Richard Nash placing 83rd in 41.38, Andy Dyall was 100th in 41.54, Paul Clarke completed his second race of a very busy weekend placing 172nd in 44.47, Ian Thursfield was 214th in 46.00, Andrew Flavell a place behind in 46.07, Russ Blair was 445th in 50.31. Paul Tabor took part in the Vitality London 10k stopping the clock in 49.46 to take 2830th place.
There was more marathon action for Dave Joysnon and Gill Mitchell, this time In Oslo as they took part in another marathon in the Norwegian capital. Dave came home in 724th in 3.24.28 with Gill placing 3961st in 5.43.54.
Ben Plilsbury placed 14th in the Tissington Trail Half Marathon in a time of 1.26.52.
And Emily Simmonds got the club vest out at the Equinox 24 hour event with her team placing 111th, completing 16 laps with Emily running 5 laps of 49.33, 53.57, 1.00.31, a back to back double lap of 59.16 and 59.59.
Dave Norman
