Bury AC’s talented combined event star Jay Cook is celebrating his first selection to represent England.

He will compete in the shot event at the Under-20s Home Countries Championships at Eton on August 17 after the selectors were impressed by the Loughborough student’s performance at the English Championships a fortnight ago, where he set a new best of 13.81m to secure a bronze medal.

Meanwhile, six members of Bury AC competed at the Sale Sizzler 5k last Thursday. The race always attracts a high quality field for the fast, flat course around Wythenshawe Park and Martin Clark ran brilliantly to take sixth place in 15mins 18secs - just two seconds outside his best for the distance. Christian Peters did set a new best of 16:16 which saw him cross the line in 27th place and he is going from strength to strength since joining. Jack Griffiths was the next Bury finisher with 17:10 giving him 70th place. He was followed closely by men’s captain, Byron Edwards, who clocked 17:28 and placed third in the V50 category. Craig Sykes crossed the line in 18:10 - his fastest in three years - and that gave him seventh in the V50 category. Alia Braithwaite completed the course in 18:31 and was third in her V35 age category.

Last Saturday a team of 13 Bury athletes travelled to Preston to compete in the Mid Lancs Track and Field League at the UCLAN stadium. The standout performances came from U15s Ben Clarke, Oliver Cooper and Lucy Dent. Ben was clear winner of the javelin with a best throw of 45.46, 10 metres clear of the runner-up. Combined event athlete Oliver won the high jump with 1.55 and also placed seventh in the 400m with 59.8, while Lucy won a very competitive 1500m, recording 5:09.5 with the first four athletes finishing within 1.5 seconds of each other. The other U15s were Isabella Robinson, Agatha Wragg, Faye Gribbin and Laila Musvamhiri. Isabella won her 200m heat in 28.6 and was ninth fastest on the day, while Agatha won her 300m heat with 45.1 and was sixth fastest on the day, having recorded 29.9 for her earlier 200m. Faye was fifth overall in the 300m with a new PB of 44.4 and Laila was 13th overall in the 100m with a PB of 13.9, and took fifth in the javelin with 17.79.

The club had two seniors competing - Luke Harreld took third in the 800m with 2:04.1 and Elyse Mendell set a new PB of 14.1 in the 100m, placing seventh overall. For the U13s, Sammy McBride-Duerden won the long jump with 4.06 (PB), was fifth fastest over 100m (14.1PB) and sixth fastest over 200m (29.2PB). Matilda Nott was sixth fastest over 100m (14.2PB), sixth fastest again over 200m (29.1 equalling her PB) and placed 11th in the long jump (3.38).

Annabelle Hinze won the shot (6.20PB), took third in the javelin (14.57PB) and was 15th overall in the 200m (31.7 equal PB), while Thea Golby-Thomson was seventh in the long jump (3.49PB) and 16th fastest over 100m (14.9 equal PB).