15-medal haul reward for morpeth contingent at track and field champs

Twenty-two athletes from Morpeth Harriers & AC were amongst the many who competed at the annual North East Counties Association Track and Field Championships held at Middlesbrough Sports Village on Saturday, and Sunday 13 and 14 May.
There were some truly excellent performances from the club's contingent, and a total haul of 15 Championship medals were achieved amongst them.
Top of the Morpeth performers was undoubtedly Joseph Close, who won two Gold Medals.
The Under 17 Man probably travels more miles than most, living in Berwick, he made two trips to the Teesside venue, to take firstly, the 1500m title on day one, where he produced a winning time of 4m11.92s, five seconds adrift of his personal best.
​He was pushed most of the way by his Morpeth club colleague Elliot Kelso, who was rewarded with a Silver medal from his finishing time of 4m12.63s, which was also around five seconds adrift of his best.
Another Morpeth athlete in action in the 1500m was Oliver Tomlinson, who finished sixth, posting a time of 4m29.22s, which was again around five seconds adrift of his personal best for the distance.
Close returned to the venue on day two to take the 800m title, where he posted a winning time of 2m00.67s.
Again, Morpeth had a second athlete on the podium, and that was third placed Elliot Mavir, who can feel well pleased with his new lifetime personal best for the distance of 2m06.48s, taking almost three seconds off his previous figures.
Another Morpeth Track Gold Medallist on day one was Veteran athlete Morag Stead, who despite finishing third in the combined Under 20/Senior Women’s 5000m Final, it was two Under 20’s Katie Francis of Birtley, and Elswick Harrier Imogen Bungay who finished ahead of her.
Stead’s finishing time was 18m33.71s, in what was her first outing over the twelve and a half laps for seven years.
A third Gold Medallist on day one from Morpeth was Edward Gardiner, who won the Under 20 Men’s Discus with a best throw of 37.31m, which was marginally a new personal best.
Another two medals were achieved on day one by Morpeth athletes, and they were Peter Smallcombe, who won a Bronze in the Senior Men’s 1500m, posting a new personal best of 4m00.53s, however, he also returned on the second day to take the 800m title, plus the Gold Medal, producing also a brand new personal best of 2m00.52s, taking almost eight seconds off his previous figures.
Connor Marshall of Morpeth finished fifth in the Senior Men’s 1500m, two places behind Smallcombe, in a time of 4m05.12s.
Molly Roche won a Bronze Medal in the Under 15 Girls 3000m Final, her first outing over the seven and a half laps, and she produced a time of 12m23.10s for her efforts.
After missing out on a medal chance in the Under 17 Women’s 80m Hurdles, where after she won her heat in 12.92s, Morpeth’s Victoria Hodgson returned on the second day, to take Silver in the 300m Hurdles in 46.63s.
Despite improving her time in the 80m Hurdles Final to 12.80s, it was only good for fifth place.
A second Medal for the Hodgson family was achieved on the second day, when younger sister Alexandria took the Under 15 Girl’s Hammer title, with an on the day best throw of 39.79m.
On day two, Under 15 Girl Emma Tomlinson, younger sister of Ollie, won a Bronze medal, posting a time of 5m16.40s.
Her Morpeth club colleague Charlotte Marshall, younger sister of Connor, also finished twelfth in the event, posting a time of 6m18.38s.
It was certainly a super Sunday for Morpeth athletes, as Charlotte Earl won the Under 20 Women’s Triple Jump title, with a best of 11.49m, after winner her heat of the Under 17 Women’s 300m in a new personal best of 43.32s, Amelia Hamlin improved to 42.74s in her later run Final, where she took the Silver Medal, and in his first ever championship, Ethan Phillips won a Bronze medal in the Under 20 Men’s 800m, posting a time of 2m00.36s.
There were also a number of good performances from Morpeth Harriers who were slightly adrift of the medals.
Liam Roche ran a season’s best of 4m01.30s, when finishing fifth in the final of the Under 20 Men’s 1500m, and his Morpeth club colleague Bertie Marr was one place behind him, posting a personal best time of 4m01.95.
Joe Dixon, who is still trying to edge his way back to full fitness, finished tenth in the event, in a time 4m14.46s.
Caitlin Flanagan finished sixth in the Under 20 Women’s 1500m, posting a time of 4m57.49s.
On day one, Under 17 sprinter Conner Phillips went out in the heats of the 100m finishing seventh in his event in 12.54s, and on day two, he also went out in the heats of the 200m, despite posting a personal best of 24.75s.
Morpeth’s youngest competitor, Zoe Tomlinson, sibling of Emma and Ollie, enjoyed her first championship experience in the Under 13 Girls 1500m, finishing ninth in 5m55.94s.