Fresh from his excellent win at the Northumberland Schools Cross Country Championships,
Scott Beattie was quickly on his travels again at the weekend, as he headed for Elgiobar in Spain, to compete in the annual high profile European Athletics Permit Cross Country Meeting on Sunday 22nd January 2017. He finished a good third in the Junior Men’s event, behind Catalonia’s Abdessamad Oukhelfen, and fellow Brit Sam Stevens of Leicester Coritanian. In a fast run race, Beattie was only caught in the later stages after establishing an early lead, however he summoned up enough to hold off a last-ditch final challenge from another fellow Brit Tom Mortimer of Stroud, to hold on to a vital third place. Oukhelfen’s winning time was 20m18s, Stevens clocked 20m26s, Beattie’s time was 20m40s, only beating Mortimer by a mere second. 38 Runners in total completed the course. Providing Beattie recovers from this outing, he will most certainly line up in his club’s Under 20 Men’s squad in this weekend’s Northern Athletics Cross Country Championships in Knowsley Safari Park on Merseyside, where he is one of the favourites to claim an individual medal. Morpeths James Taylor finished in 33rd place in the Senior Men’s 10.37k event
at the fourth and penultimate UK Cross Challenge Meeting, held at Blackweir Fields in Cardiff on Sunday 22nd January 2017. Under 17 Woman athlete Jessica Young-Rogers was certainly in sparkling outstanding form at the
third in the series of Gateshead Indoor Standards Meetings, held on Thursday 19th January 2017. She was one of twelve of Morpeth Harriers burgeoning young talents in action on an excellent night for the club, however Young-Rogers performances were above all, certainly eye catching to say the least. In her first outing over 60m Hurdles, she was clearly a winner in her age group, as she clocked an excellent 9.82s, which will see her figure just inside the top fifty UK wide, so far, this year for the event, and amongst the top performers regionally. She was however, even more outstanding in the flat 60m, clearly the fastest in her age group, clocking a new best of 8.13s in the first round, and 8.14 in the second round, which will see her ranked about 45th UK wide, and second regionally. Another outstanding Morpeth performer over 60m Hurdles was Under 15 athlete Amy Lott, who produced a new personal best of 10.18s in only her second outing since entering her new age group. This performance will see her ranked 55th UK wide, and certainly in the top half dozen regionally. Amy also competed in the flat 60m, producing a new personal best of 8.80s, which saw her finish ninth in her age group. Another outstanding young Morpeth performer was Ellie Longstaff, who was first in the Under 13 Girls 60m, clocking a new personal best of 8.69s Olivia Gent of Morpeth Harriers was seventh fastest in the Under 13 Girls 60m with 10.80s. Competing for the first-time over 60m Indoors, Morpeth’s Rosie Winter was seventh fastest Under 15 Girl, posting a time of 8.77s. Another Morpeth Under 15 Girl in action in the 60m was Olivia Hawkes, who was 14th fastest, posting a time of 8.95s. Katie Hilton of Morpeth proved to be third to her club colleague Young-Rogers, with her clocking of 8.61s in the first round of the Under 17 Women’s 60m, however she came back in the later run second round, which saw her clock a faster 8.59s for second fastest placing. In the first round of the Under 20 Women’s 60m, Morpeth’s Naomi Arkle proved to be second fastest in her age group, with a new personal best of 8.56s, however she was fastest in the second round with her clocking of 8.59s. Megan Winter, older sister of Rosie, was fourth fastest in the first round of the Under 17 Women’s 60m with 8.73s. Morpeth’s other track performer on the night was David Thomas, whose 7.96s was a new personal best for 60m, which saw him finish seventh in the Under 20 Men’s section. In addition to those competing on the track, the club had four in action in the Field Events. They included three age group winners and a second. David Thomas won the Under 20 Men’s Triple Jump, producing a best of 12.05m. In the Under 20 Women’s Triple Jump, Naomi Arkle finished second with her best effort of 8.73m. Kofi Avornyo and Ethan Stephenson were both respective winners of the Under 13 and Under 15 Boys High Jump competitions, with clearances of 1.30m and 1.65m, which although were a little short of their best, still showed that they are reasonably showing good form, and there are better things to come. Entries for the 2017 Northumberland Coastal Run open at 9am this Sunday !
1200 places are available for the annual 14 mile run from Beadnell to Alnmouth, and no doubt these places will be snapped up within a few hours. The race is on Sunday 23rd July and will start at 10.30am. All the prices and entry details are to be found at https://resultsbase.net/event/3755. To save time on Sunday morning it might be an idea to create a profile on Resultsbase or try to remember your password and login in advance ! Here's the all important link to enter the Northumberland Coastal Run on Sunday..... Six athletes from the ranks of Morpeth Harriers were amongst the respective medallists at the annual Northumberland Schools Cross Country Championships, held at Temple Park Leisure Centre on Tuesday 17th January 2017. Scott Beattie (Senior Boys), Rory Leonard (Intermediate Boys), and Holly Peck (Junior Girls) were all excellent Gold Medal winners, on a day where several club colleagues also made their mark, by producing performances which gained them automatic selection to the forthcoming Northern Inter Counties Schools competition, to be held at Kirby Stephen in Cumbria next month, which for some, could provide the final stepping stone to the All England Schools competition, which is scheduled to be held in Norwich in March. Three Morpeth Harriers also gained minor medals in the championships, which meant that the club provided a total of six outstanding medallists on the day. Representing North Tyneside, Under 20 Men’s North Eastern Counties champion Beattie, who has also recently gained national honours, was a very convincing victor of the Senior Boys 6.3k contest, winning by a very comfortable margin of fifty-two seconds from his Morpeth Harriers club colleague Kieran Hedley, representing Newcastle, who was very pleased to take the Silver medal ahead of Tynedale’s Max Pearson, who took the Bronze. Another Morpeth Harrier competing in the Senior Boys event was Jake Masterman, who was representing East Northumberland. Masterman finished in sixth place. Fresh from his Silver medal winning run in the North of England Indoor Championships, Morpeth’s Rory Leonard (East), proved to be too good for his opposition in the Intermediate Boys event, run over a distance of 5.3k. He won with nineteen seconds to spare over club colleague Daniel Dixon, also running for East Northumberland, to take a much-prized Gold medal. Dixon took a well-earned Silver medal, and third place and Bronze medal went to Tynedale’s Alex Wood, who managed to fend off the close attentions of fourth placed Taylor Glover (East), another Morpeth Harrier. Other Morpeth Harriers in action in the Intermediate Boys event were Ross Charlton (East) (6th), Joe Ramshaw (Newcastle) (7th), Matthew Waterfield (East) (8th), Connor Marshall (East) (10th), Liam Marsh (East) (12th), Daniel Melling (Newcastle) (16th), Alex Cunningham (East) (20th), and Brad Brown (East) (41st). Morpeth’s Holly Peck was certainly made to fight all the way to the finish line to take the Junior Girls 3.k title.
Representing East Northumberland, she won with just four seconds to spare over Newcastle’s Olivia Kantony, with fellow Newcastle runner Ines Curran finishing very close behind in third spot. Peck’s Morpeth Harriers club colleague Rhiannon Hedley produced an excellent run to finish a well-earned sixth. This was perhaps first year Junior Hedley’s finest performance of the winter so far, and the North Northumberland pupil can certainly take great heart from it. Two places and seven seconds adrift of her was her Morpeth Harriers club colleague Lily Heaton, who was representing East Northumberland, another excellent performance. Other Morpeth Harriers in action in the Junior Girls event were Alice Geohegan (Newcastle) (10th), Lauren Cummings (East) (21st), Fay Smith (East) (33rd), Rebecca Bradley (East) (35th), and Charlotte Bruce (East) (42nd). Morpeth Harriers other medallist on the day was Junior Boy Thomas Cunningham, who was representing East Northumberland in their 4k event. He took the Bronze medal behind Newcastle pair Harry Morris and Ethan McGlen, finishing just nine seconds ahead of fellow Morpeth Harriers Ben Walker (East) and Dylan Davies (East). Other Morpeth Harriers competing in the Junior Boys event were Andrew Hudspith (Newcastle) (15th), Matthew Heslop (East) (24th), Dylan Gooding (East) (25th), Charlie Lane (East) (26th), Ben Waterfield (East) (58th), and Bobby Stone (North) (61st). Back with the Girls events, where Morpeth’s Gracie Hufton, representing East Northumberland, produced a very eye catching performance when finishing sixth in the Intermediate race, run over a distance of 4k. Other Morpeth Harriers inn action in this event were Ella Duffield (North) (17th), Kirsty Duffin (East) (22nd), and Ellie Burt (East) (45th). In the Minor Girls2.6k race, Morpeth Harrier Mia Belton, representing Tynedale, had an excellent run to finish seventh overall. Other Morpeth Harriers competing in this event were Laura Melling (Newcastle) (14th), Orla Callaghan (East) (15th), and Molly Ions (East) (65th). Representing North Northumberland, Morpeth Harrier Abby Sheldon finished tenth in the Senior Girls 4k event. In the Minor Boys 2.6k event, Morpeth’s Callum Rowell, representing North Northumberland finished 26th. Athletes who finished in the top sixteen in each event, should see themselves selected to run for Northumberland in the Inter Counties competition, with other discretionary places being left in the hands of selectors. The Gillian Mooney Memorial trophy run in honour of the former Northumberland Schools stalwart, who put so much work into these championships during the late eighty’s and early nineties, was presented to Newcastle Schools as overall winners on the day. Whilst many of his club colleagues were competing at the Northumberland Schools Cross Country Championships, Jacob Hopkins, due to the fact that he attends Gateshead College, competed in the Durham Schools Cross Country Championships at Barnard Castle School on Saturday 21st January 2017. He finished 16th in the Senior Boys 6.8k event, and therefore may also see himself selected to run in the Purple Vest of Durham at the Inter Counties in Cumbria. |
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