Northumberland Schools finished an excellent third behind hosts Cumbria at the annual Northern Inter Counties Schools Cross Country Championships, held at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School on Saturday 4th February 2017. They were 65 points adrift of second placed North Yorkshire, however they were well ahead of Cleveland and Durham, who had a very close 43-point margin battle for fourth and fifth team places respectively. Heavy early morning showers resulted in boggy conditions all-round the course, which is set in rural farmland, which proved very testing for all, including several athletes belonging to Morpeth Harriers, who were competing for Northumberland, with one of the clubs’ flock turning out for Durham, by virtue of his Gateshead College base. This contest is very much the last stepping stone for athletes with aspirations of making it onto the Bus for Norwich in early March, for the annual English Schools Cross Country Championships, when they will lock horns with the cream of the country’s best. In the Intermediate Boys event, run over 5.7k, Rory Leonard proved to be the best of the Morpeth Harriers performers, finishing a mere eighteen seconds adrift of Cleveland’s Josh Cowperthwaite of Middlesbrough AC, also the North-East Counties Cross Country Champion in the Under 17 age group. Finishing second, Leonard is in the form of his young life, and is a certainty to be on the Bus to Norwich, as is club colleague Daniel Dixon, who once again had an excellent run to finish in third place, and only twelve seconds further adrift. Both Leonard and Dixon picked up Silver and Bronze individual medals to mark their respective achievements. Dixon is the current North East Under 15 Boys Cross Country Champion, and to have Leonard and him at the helm of the Northumberland squad, bodes well for the English Championships. Likely to join Leonard and Dixon at Norwich are club colleagues Matthew Waterfield and Taylor Glover, who finished in 10th and 11th places respectively, and were fourth and fifth home for Northumberland. Morpeth Harriers Liam Marsh and Ross Charlton, who finished in 14th and 16th places, await the verdict of selectors, as they were eighth and tenth home from the county. Other Morpeth Harriers in action in the Intermediate Boys event were Daniel Melling (19th) (11th North), Joe Ramshaw (26th) (12th North), and Connor Marshall (37th) (15th North). Northumberland had their only team win of the day in this age group. Finishing in second place in the Junior Girls 2.5k event, and only thirteen seconds adrift
of the previous week’s Northern Under 13 Girls Champion Alice Jones, of North Yorkshire, and Wharfedale Harriers, Morpeth Harrier Holly Peck proved beyond all doubt that she is well worthy of her English School’s place, as she led Northumberland home. Peck won an individual Silver medal to mark her achievement. Other Morpeth Harriers finishers in this event were Rhiannon Hedley (21st) (3rd North), and Lily Heaton (27th) (4th North). Northumberland finished as fourth team in the Junior Girls event. Finishing in 23rd place overall, Thomas Cunningham of Morpeth Harriers was second home for Northumberland in the Junior Boys 3.8k event. Two places and three seconds behind him was club colleague Ben Walker, who was third home from the county. Further down the field in this event, and not likely to figure in the selectors plans was Andrew Hudspith, who was 59th, and was tenth from the County. Northumberland finished as fifth team in this age group. An unfortunate illness prevented Morpeth’s Dylan Davies from travelling to compete, however his fifth placing in the County Schools at South Shields in January, may be enough to win the hearts of selectors. In the Senior Boys 7.1k event Morpeth’s Jake Masterman finished in 22nd place as second for Northumberland, however he will have to await the selectors decision before knowing if he will make the final team selection, because several leading protagonists chose to miss the Inter Counties. Also, competing in the Senior Boys event was Jacob Hopkins, who ran in the colours of Durham, but is unlikely to make their final squad, as he was twelfth in their list of finishers. In the Intermediate Girls 3.8k event, Morpeth Harrier Gracie Hufton finished 26th, and was ninth home for Northumberland, and awaits the selectors decision with regards to her place in the English Schools Championships, as does club colleague Abby Sheldon, who finished 39th in the Senior Girls 3.8k event, and was also ninth finisher for the County. In the Minor Girls 1.9k event, Morpeth’s Alice Geoghegan finished in 42nd place, along with club colleague Laura Melling, who finished in 47th place. This age group are ineligible to compete in the English Schools Championships. Three names for the future in the Morpeth Harriers Young Athletes ranks were competing
at the combined Under 13/Under 15 Northern Athletics Indoor Track and Field Championships at Sheffield on Sunday 5th February. Ethan Stephenson and Amy Lott competed in the Under 15 events, and relative newcomer Ellie Longstaff competed in the Under 13 age group. Stephenson had an excellent day, picking up Silver and Bronze medals respectively in the High Jump and Long Jump. In the High Jump, he cleared 1.65m, which equalled his best Indoor performance, and in the Long Jump, he produced a best of 5.60m, which also equalled his best outdoor performance. 2016 Under 13 North East Indoor Champion 60m Hurdler Lott was unfortunate not to reach the final of her event, when she ran a new personal best of 10.04s in her heat, this being her first championship run in her new age group. Her previous best Indoors since turning Under 15, had been 10.18s. She also produced a lifetime best of 8.62s in the flat 60m, so although there were no medals for this young talent, there was plenty of support for her efforts, which will ultimately bring success. There was a medal however for her training partner and Morpeth Harriers club colleague Ellie Longstaff, who came through three races to eventually take a Bronze medal in the Under 13 Girls 60m. She won her heat by literally smashing her personal best with 8.46s, finished second in her semi-final with 8.60s, and ran a superb 8.50s in the final to take a well-earned Bronze medal. In all three races Longstaff achieved better times than the one she had before the days’ competition, and looks to have a very bright future indeed. Final handicap race of the series this Wednesday night, (8th February)
usual plan 6.30pm at the clubhouse for first runner away at 6.50pm. Overall 40 people have taken part in at least one of the races and it would be great if we got a good turnout on Wednesday for the grand finale ! There will be some 'series' prizes and I plan to put on a 'post run buffet and drinks' back at the hut at the prize giving - £2.00 per person ! Anyone who hasn't taken part is more than welcome to come along. PLEASE COULD YOU LET ME KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO RUN - JUST FOR CATERING ! Hope to see you Wednesday, Kevin Bray Some excellent running by some of the club’s older competitors brought home a set of Gold and Bronze team medals, plus some individual successes for Morpeth Harriers, at the annual North East Masters Cross Country Championships, held on a brand-new course at Rising Sun Country Park, Wallsend on Saturday 4th February 2017. David Nicholson (41st) (1st O/60 Man), Gavin Bayne (47th) (3rd O/60 Man), and Paul Bellingham (57th) (8th O/55 Man) secured an excellent fifty-eight-point margin win over second placed Heaton Harriers in the 55 to 64 Year age category to take a handsome set of Gold Medals in their three lap 5.25mile event. Nicholson and Bayne also secured individual Gold and Bronze medals for their efforts. The Bronze medals for Morpeth Harriers were won in the 45 to 54 Male age group, where they just lost out on a countback situation to Heaton Harriers, having finished on a level number of team points. Crook AC were winners in this event, also on the three-lap course, by a healthy margin of twenty-three points. Tim Miley led the Morpeth team home in this event, finishing twelfth overall, and he was third Over 50, securing an individual Bronze medal. Further team support came from Paul Waterston (19th) (5th Over 50), and Paul Brown (35th) (7th Over 50). Another finisher for Morpeth Harriers in this event was seasoned Veteran Archie Jenkins, who worked his way round the tough new circuit to finish 82nd overall, and eleventh in the Over 60 Male category. In the Over 65 Male event, which was run as a separate race over a shorter distance of 3.5miles,
covered by two laps, Morpeth Harriers Paul Bentley, and Walter Ryder, who had travelled all the way down from West Scotland, finished in sixth and eighteenth places respectively. Paul was second in the Over 70 Male category, taking an individual Silver medal, and Walter also secured a Gold medal in the Over 75 Male category. Three Morpeth Harriers were prominent amongst the action in the annual British Universities Cross Country Championships, held at Graves Park in Sheffield on Saturday 4th February. In a top class Men’s Long Race, run over a four-lap course, stretching a full distance of 10.36k, James Young finished in 106th place out of 333 athletes, and was four minutes adrift of event winner Alex Teuten of Southampton. Young was first home for the University of Lancaster. Fresh from her excellent midweek run in the British Army Cross Country Championships,
Lorna MacDonald finished 149th in the three lap Women’s event, run over a full distance of 7.38k, which was much longer and tougher than her previous challenge. Finishing just under six minutes adrift of race winner Rebecca Murray of Brunel University, she was first home for Birmingham City University. Murray competes for Bedford and County on a club basis. MacDonald added, that she found this event as one of the toughest that she had run, and viewed her opposition as being of high class, some of the best that she has ever faced. There were 621 finishers in the Women’s event. Running in the colours of Leeds Beckett University, Phil Winkler finished 152nd in the Men’s Short Race, run over three laps, and covering a full distance of 8.18k, which again was full of top class athletes. He was sixth home for his squad, and was just over four minutes adrift of race winner Emile Cairess of St Mary’s University in London, who also competes for Leeds City on a club basis, and is the current Yorkshire Cross Country Champion. The Men’s Short Course event had a total of 573 finishers. |
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