Bury Youngsters Secure English Schools Selection

It was another busy weekend for Bury AC’s middle distance star Ethan Statham. On Saturday he competed in the Greater Manchester Schools Cross Country Championships at Heaton Park. Running in his first year in the junior boys age group he needed to make the top 8 to be sure of selection for the English Schools Championships, being held in Liverpool in March this year. He put in a typical battling performance to come home in fifth place to secure his selection for the Greater Manchester team. The following day he made the trip to Sheffield and was the club’s only competitor in the North of England Junior Indoor Championships. Running in the under 15 boys age group, again in his first year in this category, he competed in the second heat of the 800m. Despite the efforts of the previous days race being in his legs he nevertheless placed second in a new personal best of 2.16.36. The time will place him in the top 25 in the UK for his age group.

Bury had a number of other competitors at the Schools Cross Country Championships at Heaton Park. Heidi Wilkinson placed a superb fourth in the junior girls race and Lucy Dent placed eighth in the intermediate girls competition. Both of them will take well deserved Greater Manchester county vests for the prestigious English Schools event. In the first race of the day, the minor girls event, Isla Taylor placed a brilliant second with Niamh Murray hot on her heels in third with Violette Overlunde in fourth. There is not a minor girls race in the English Schools but both youngsters acquitted themselves brilliantly. The other club members competing throughout the day included Ella and Sophie Straffon-Finch, Myla Bryan, Coc-Lily Honor and Lydia Worsley.