joe wins on harrier league return

Joe Dixon at Wrekenton

Under unexpectedly inclement skies, and with problematic parking issues from the off, the cross country season got under way with the first of the North East Harrier League fixtures at Wrekenton.
 
There were only two Under 11s out in the first of the day’s two races, both in the U/11 Girls, where Emily Hodgson was 23rd and Erin Burns 31st.
 
With four of the club’s U/17s in action the following day in the Northern Relays, putting out a team was always going to be a challenge here, but it was nonetheless disappointing to see only Stephen Craske flying the flag for the club in the U/17s here, Stephen coming home 22nd from Slow Pack.
 
It was however good to see Caitlin Flanagan make a return to the cross country in the U/17/20 combined that followed, finishing well up the field of nearly fifty in 5th place from Slow Pack in 21:44, although sadly once again the sole Morpeth representative.
 
There were similarly incomplete teams in the U/15 Boys and Girls, although this was perhaps excusable in the Girls fixture with a team also travelling to the NW.
 
Ben Moll and Daniel Scott both ran well here, with Ben 6th and Daniel 9th, both from Slow Pack – but what a shame there was no 3rd counter to make the team complete.
 
Meanwhile Charlotte Marshall had the customary gutsy run in the matching U/15s, coming home in 29th place from Slow.
 
There was better news however in the U/13s, with strong performances from both Boys and Girls squads.
 
Tremendous packing from the Boys saw Jacob Thompson, Ewan Line and Evan Laude finishing in 17th, 18th and 19th , with Ewan from Fast. There were further supporting runs from George Moll, 21st, Liam Jackson, 30th in his first ever outing in a blue and white vest, Jack Dhawar, 44th, and Eli Mcsparron, 79th. The team finished 3rd on the day.
 
The Girls went one better, coming in in 2nd place to Elswick. Lucy Raper, in her first race as an U/13, was 3rd, Zoe Tomlinson 12th and Faye Heatley 18th from Fast.
 
It was very much business as normal for Catriona Macdonald and Jane Hodgson in the penultimate Senior Women’s race, with Cat recording the day’s fastest overall time of 23:43 in 9th place and Jane Hodgson the 3rd fastes when coming home 20th in 24:41, both from Fast Pack.
 
The women’s squad finished  4th on the day with support from Linzi Quinn, 59th from Medium, and Gwenda Cavill, 78th from Slow.
 
Nicola McCoy made her club debut in the race too, just outside the top 100, with Julie Vermaas 154th from Medium, Laura Mclean 163rd and Margaret Macdonald 371st , both from Slow.
 
It certainly looks to be once again a competitive division, with NSP winning here, Durham City 2nd and Jesmond Joggers 3rd, but promotions to higher packs will undoubtedly mean the bigger picture will only enfold as the season gets more fully underway.
 
Perhaps the highlight of the day from Morpeth point of view however was the outstanding run by KEVI sixth former Joe Dixon, who showed a clean pair of heels to the rest of the field in the Senior Men’s race, winning from Slow Pack in a time of 32 minutes 39 seconds, the day’s third fastest time overall. Never seriously challenged after completion of the first lap, Joe looked very much in his element and showed the strength over the country that he had shown when picking up a fine Silver in the Northern XCs at Blackburn earlier in the year.
 
With Faye’s father Ben, in his first ever race for the club, coming home well placed as second counter in 32nd ,  and further supporting runs from Mark Banks, 61st ,and Andrew Ball, 87th, both from Medium, Mark Snowball 104th from Fast and final counter Andriy Volkov, 166th from Slow, the Men’s team finished fifth overall on the day as they look to defend the title they have won in the competition for the last two years.
 
There were further runs from: Anthony Jannetta, 177th from Medium and just outside the counters; Neil Mcanany, 235th; Dave Nicholson, 383rd ; John Clark, 390th , and  a returning Adam Coulson, 438th  (these last from Slow).
 
Interestingly enough, it was promoted outfits Durham City and Elvet Striders who were 1st and 2nd here with NSP 3rd, but as with the Women the situation will only unravel as the season goes on; this fixture was always about damage limitation with so many potentially available runners turning out at Birkenhead (noticeable that both Tyne Bridge and Sunderland Harriers were similarly affected here, with Gateshead not travelling to the NW and just ahead of Morpeth).
 
Looking at the day overall, it has to be said that, despite several outstanding performances, the turn out across a number of the age ranges was disappointing,  and the club will look to remedy the situation with the next fixture very much on home turf at Druridge Bay in two weeks time. Put the date in your diary now: Sunday 15 October.