The Ackworth Open Meeting

There were many outstanding performances in the first staging of the Wilkinson Ackworth Open Meeting, held last Sunday at Thornes Park Stadium, Wakefield.

More than 100 late entries on the day swelled the number of competitors to a very creditable 227 with athletes from top athletics clubs coming from all over the country to take part.

Bernice Wilson from Birchfield Harriers won the senior women’s 100 Metres in 12.1 seconds and backed that up with a victory in the 200 Metres in 24.7.

Zoe Woodward from Liverpool Harriers won the Under 17 women’s 400 Metres in 59.8 seconds and David Riley from Gateshead Harriers had an impressive victory in the senior men’s 400 Metres in 49.1 seconds.

Symon Woan from Preston Harriers won the senior men’s 100 Metres in 11.3 seconds and Grace Eyles from Wakefield Harriers recorded a sprint double in the Under 15 Girls age group, winning the 100 Metres in 13.2 and the 200 Metres in 26.4.

In the face of some very good quality opposition, there were some good performances from several members of the host club, Ackworth Road Runners & Athletics Club. In the Under 15 Boys 100 Metres, Oliver Edmunds finished 2nd in a new club record of 12.4 seconds. James Saxton finished 4th in the same event in 12.5. In the 200 Metres, Oliver established his 2nd club record of the day when he finished 2nd in 25.5 seconds. With Ben Wellington finishing 4th in 25.6 and James Saxton 5th in 25.7, it is clear that the Ackworth club now has a much greater depth of talent than it has had previously. In the Under 15 Boys 800 Metres, James Saxton knocked more than 3 seconds off the club record when he finished 4th in 2 minutes 15.4 seconds. Phil Knowles had a good victory in the Under 15 Boys Shot Putt with a throw of 8.12 Metres.

Joel Dibb was again in very good form, finishing 2nd in the Under 17 Men’s 100 Metres in 11.8, 2nd in the 200 Metres in 24.0 and 3rd in the Triple Jump with 12.05 Metres. Charlotte Holdsworth finished 3rd in the Under 17 Women’s 400 Metres, setting a club record of 74.9 seconds.

In the Under 17 women’s Triple Jump, Alix Edwards produced an outstanding jump of 9.06 Metres. Considering that this was Alix’s first Triple Jump competition and that she is currently a first year Under 15 girl, she must surely be destined to be an outstanding talent in this discipline.

Liam Holdsworth was unable to take part in the Wilkinson Ackworth Open Meeting as he was representing West Yorkshire Schools in the North East Regional Finals of the English Schools Combined Events Championships. Liam finished 3rd overall in the Octathlon with 3,713 points, helping West Yorkshire to win the team competition. On the first day he set a club record of 32.94 Metres in the Javelin. He also recorded 5.20 Metres in the Long Jump, 24.67 Metres in the Discus and 58.6 seconds in the 400 Metres. On the 2nd day he set a club record of 16.2 in the 100 Metres Hurdles and equalled his personal best in the High Jump with 1.80 Metres. He also recorded 8.22 in the Shot Putt and finished with a very good 1500 Metres in 4 minutes 56.3 seconds.

Liam has now been selected to represent Yorkshire in the final of the English Schools Combined Events Championships at Bedford on the weekend of the 19th and 20th September.