World Masters Track & Field Championships – Malaga September 4th – 16th 2018
V50 Tony Balko who has been one of the mainstays of the Men’s Senior Throws Squad for the last ten years had two targets for 2018 – the first to help the Club get back into Division One of the Northern League which we accomplished by winning Division 2WC and then going up with the Isle of Man via the Promotion Match held in Doncaster on August 25th. His other main target was the World Masters Championships held recently in Malaga in the Throws Pentathlon.
Tony did himself proud as he finished the Championships in 13th place overall out of a field of twenty eight and set a new PB of 2981 points after throwing 36.98m in the Hammer; 10.82m in the Shot Putt; 37.21m in the Discus; 35.35m in the Javelin and 12.74m in the Weight.
A roll call of what he has achieved over the season speaks for itself as his competitions included setting seven new personal bests and finishing the season UK V50 ranked No.2 in Throws Pentathlon; No. 3 in Weight (11.34kg); No. 6 in the Discus (1.5kg); No. 6 in the Hammer (6kg); No. 13 in the Javelin (700gm) and No.20 in the Shot Putt (6kg) – alongside medalling at Lancashire County, Northern Masters and British Masters Championships.
World Masters Championships – 13th place Throws Pentathlon 2981 points
British Throws Pentathlon Championships – Gold Medalist
British Masters Championships – Bronze Medal 6kg Hammer
British Masters Championships – Bronze Medalist 6kg Shot
Northern Masters Championships – Gold Medalist 6kg Hammer
Northern Masters Championships – Gold Medalist 1.5kg Discus
Lancashire County Championships – Silver Medalist 2kg Discus
Lancashire County Championships – Bronze Medalist 7.26kg Hammer
Tony is already thinking about 2019 where his target will be the World Masters Indoor Championships to be held in Poland in March.
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Arnold Seddon Open Meeting – Wigan Sunday September 16th
The rain and wind didn’t stop five young Blackburn Harriers from competing at one of the end of season Open Meetings at Wigan – George and Benjamin Whittaker – Isaac Butler, Matt Heywood and Nicky Saunders – yielding 5 wins and three new PB’s.
It was a great day for U15 Matt Heywood as he secured three wins in the Shot Putt with 8.12m; the Discus with 30.48m and his best of the day, a new PB by over three metres in the Hammer of 46.40m which takes him to No. 1 in the North West and 8th in the British Rankings. George Whittaker took 2nd place to Matt in the Discus throwing a distance of 30.35m – a new PB by a metre.
U15 Nicky Saunders wasn’t far off her personal best in the Discus as she won the event with a throw of 27.34m going on to take 2nd in the Javelin (23.88m).
U13 Isaac Butler took on the 800m and ran a time of 2.34.6 in 7th position as brothers Benjamin and George Whittaker tackled the 200m – George clocked 26.40 to win his Heat of the U15 Boys 200m and a new PB by four tenths as Benjamin ran a time of 25.00 in the U17 Mens race (6th).
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Asda Foundation Bury 10k – Sunday September 16th
Over fourteen hundred finishers in this Race run on Sunday with the winner – Benjamin Coop – clocking a time of 32.23 to win comfortably by over a minute from second placed Jonathon Walton.
After a fair period out with injury, Ben Costello was back racing and ran a very solid race, his first in nearly two months to come home in 4th place overall with a pretty solid time of 35.36.
