4:43pm Thursday 22nd July 2010
VALE Royal Athletics Club can lay claim to a second national champion after Crewe’s Stevie Stockton stormed to a maiden England Athletics title on Saturday.
The 20-year-old won the women’s 1,500m final at Gateshead International Stadium to record a first track win at senior level, adding to clubmate Rebecca Craigie’s victory at the English Schools’ Championship the previous week.
“That’s got to be a record,” said Vale Royal AC coach Shaun McGrath.
“How many clubs our size can say they have two gold medal winners from national track championships in the space of seven days?“Not too many.”
Stockton, a student at the University of Loughborough, held off the challenge of Gemma Turtle (Gloucester AC) to win by three quarters of a second in 4:20.93.
Emily Pidgeon (Stroud AC) finished third.
McGrath added: “It’s a remarkable achievement and a great boost to everybody at the club.
“We’ve watched Stevie develop as a person and an athlete so to see a Vale Royal vest crossing the line first at such a prestigious event is a special moment.”
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