 The start of the Senior Mens race on Saturday at Wrekenton Morpeth Harriers Under 15 Boy Taylor Glover certainly ended his very busy cross country season on a high, when he led his club to an excellent team victory at the final Start Fitness North Eastern Harrier League meeting, held at Cardinal Hume School, Wrekenton, Gateshead on Saturday 19th March. Glover, who has also very much played an integral part in other club, school, and North East successes over the course of the season, could take extra delight on four counts, the fact that he had clocked the day’s fastest time, had led his club, not only to victory on the day, had also led them to overall team victory for the season, and he also added an overall individual grand prix victory for his age group, for which he will receive an award at a forthcoming awards ceremony, still to be arranged.  Taylor Glover at Wrekenton On Saturday, his fast pack run was indeed outstanding, giving 100 seconds to a good proportion of the 42 strong Under 15 Boys field, he was a good seventeen seconds faster, and three places ahead of his closest rival, as he came through to finish seventh overall in a time of 8m16s over the approx 3k course. Also providing good Morpeth team support for an excellent on the day result were Matthew Waterfield and Joe Dowd, who finished one second adrift of each other in 16th and 17th places, also running from the Fast Pack. Three places behind Dowd was his Morpeth club colleague Daniel Melling, who also produced an excellent Fast Pack run. Waterfield, Dowd, and Melling were seventh, eighth, and ninth fastest in the event. Another Morpeth Harrier in action in this event was Bradley Brown, who finished 36th from the Fast Pack.  Holly Peck at Wrekenton Holly Peck was another Morpeth Harrier who ran really well, despite also having a very hectic cross country campaign. She comfortably won the Under 13 Girls 3k event, after giving 100 seconds away to a good proportion of the 53 strong field. Peck won by seven seconds, and was fourteen seconds faster than her closest rival in terms of time, who just happened to be her Morpeth Harriers club colleague Lily Heaton, who produced an excellent run, also from the Fast Pack to finish in third place overall. Completing the scoring tally for an outstanding Morpeth on the day team victory, was Rhiannon Hedley, who finished eighth overall from the Fast Pack, posting the fourth fastest time of the day. Morpeth Harriers other athlete in action in this event was Lauren Cummings, who finished 34th from the Fast Pack.  Sam Hancox at Wrekenton Sam Hancox produced a superb run to finish in ninth place overall from the Fast Pack in the Senior Men’s 9k event, and was the third fastest in the race, a performance that also saw him end his Harrier League season, very much on a high, as he was also third individual in the season’s Grand Prix table, which will see him also pick up an award at a forthcoming presentation. Hancox led the Morpeth Harriers Senior Men’s squad home to fifth team place in Division 1, which sees them in a final third team place behind winners Sunderland Harriers, and second placed Tyne Bridge Harriers. Further on the day team support for Morpeth, came from Jordan Scott, who produced an excellent Fast Pack run to finish 21st, Alistair MacDonald (49th) (Slow Pack), Mike Winter (60th) (Slow Pack), David Nicholson (146th) (Slow Pack), and Rob Hancox (148th) (Medium Pack). Other Morpeth Harriers Senior Men in action at Wrekenton were Robert Cockburn (187th) (Slow Pack), Peter Scaife (233rd) (Slow Pack), Paul Bellingham (253rd) (Slow Pack), and Les Cavill (303rd) (Slow Pack). Kieran Hedley of Morpeth Harriers also ended his very busy and industrious cross country well, when he picked up an on the day finishers medal, by coming home in second place in the Under17 Men’s 6k event. Running from the fast pack, and giving 160 seconds start to three of the nineteen strong field of finishers, he was soon locked into a head to head battle with fellow North Eastern Counties representative Alex Brown of Houghton Harriers. Brown stole away in the later stages to take the race, however Hedley battled on to the finish line, and was a good thirty seconds clear of the third finisher Jake Masterman of Blyth. Hedley can be well pleased in clocking the second fastest time of the day, twenty one seconds adrift of Brown. The only other Morpeth Harrier in action in this event was Jacob Hopkins, who has had a difficult season fighting off injuries and illness. Nevertheless he made the start line on Saturday, finishing thirteenth from the Fast Pack.  Alison Brown at Wrekenton Morpeth Harriers certainly most travelled athlete Alison Brown, rewarded herself with a superb performance in the Under17/Under 20 Women’s 6k event, by finishing sixth on the day from the Fast Pack. She was also fifth fastest in the nineteen strong field, which also sees her finish as third overall in her age group Grand Prix for the season, and there will be an award for that, at a to be arranged presentation. Alison travels regularly throughout the season to represent both club and region from her Berwick home, and her overall contribution is very much valued by both parties.  Jo Carruthers at Wrekenton An excellent turnout of Morpeth Harriers Senior Women for their 7k event, saw them finish sixth on the day in Division 2, which also thankfully sees them narrowly avoid relegation to Division 3 for next term. It was also good to see Jo Carruthers back in Harrier League action for them, as she led her club, by finishing an excellent eleventh overall from the Medium Pack, posting the eighteenth fastest in the 274 strong field of finishers. Gemma Floyd was second home for the club, finishing 42nd from the Fast Pack, posting the eighth fastest time overall. Third home for Morpeth was Gwenda Cavill, who finished 62nd from the Slow Pack. Completing the Morpeth Harriers team count was Jane Briggs, who finished 153rd from the Medium Pack. Also competing on the day for Morpeth in the Senior Women’s event were Clare Walker and Frances Naylor, who finished in 210th and 233rd respectively from the Slow Pack. In Frances’s case it was her very first Harrier League outing, and she performed well on a very tough and demanding course.  Jack Barrett at Wrekenton Jack Barrett led Morpeth Harriers Under 13 Boys home to tenth team place in their 3k event. Running from the Slow Pack, he finished twelfth out of 58 competitors, and he was supported in his clubs team count by Aaron Haldane (33rd) (Slow Pack), and Reece Garrett (55th) (Slow Pack).  Gracie Hufton at Wrekenton For the umpteenth time this season, Gracie Hufton was a lone Morpeth runner in the Under 15 Girls 3k event.
Running from the Fast Pack, giving away 100 seconds, Gracie ran well to work her way in the 45 strong field, to finish 25th, posting the seventeenth fastest time of the day. Gracie’s lone perseverance and general performance improvement is to be admired, performances that have seen her finish seventeenth in the overall Grand Prix for the season for Under 15 Girls. Morpeth Harriers had four athletes in action in the non scoring Under 11 events, which were run over a 1.5k course. Callum Rowell produced an excellent run to finish sixth in the Boys race. Also competing for Morpeth Harriers in the Boys race were James Tilley and Harry Jackson, who finished in eleventh and twentieth places respectively. In the Girls event, Holly Peck’s younger sister Keira finished in 28th place. Harrier League action will resume in the autumn, and a big thank you goes out to League administrators for their season’s work, in sometimes difficult circumstances. Comments are closed.
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