juniors brave cold to secure qualification

Several athletes from Morpeth Harriers braved some hard and frosty conditions at the annual Northumberland Schools Cross Country Championships, held at Temple Park, South Shields, last Tuesday.
Some of those competing also managed to gain qualification for the next round of the competition, the Northern Schools Inter Counties, to be held at Stewart Park, Middlesbrough on Saturday 3 February which will be the final stepping stone for qualification for the English Schools Championships at Pontefract Racecourse in March.
In the Senior Boys event no fewer than six members of the club got into the top ten places, led home by Will Devere-Owen, who won in 21m24s.
Third place went to Morpeth’s Elliot Kelso, here representing Tynedale Schools, and he was followed home very closely by club colleagues Ethan Phillips and Bertie Marr, who were fourth and fifth respectively, representing East Northumberland.
Other Morpeth Harriers in action were Joe Close (Newcastle, 8th), Ryan Davies (East Northumberland, 9th), and Elliot Mavir (East Northumberland, 13th).
Morpeth’s Oliver Tomlinson (East Northumberland) finished a creditable third in the Intermediate Boys event, with his club colleagues Ben Moll (East) and George Mavir ( East) finished fifteenth and seventeenth respectively.
Despite a stomach bug, Junior Boy Ewan Line, who had surely been in line at least for a top three place, still managed to finish seventh, representing East Northumberland.
Other Morpeth Harriers in action in the Junior Boys event were: Harry Douglas (Tynedale, 13th), James Rothwell (East, 21st), Thomas Roche (East, 27th), Evan Laude (East, 32nd), and Daniel Vermaas (East, 43rd).
Two runners from the club took part in the Minor Boys event, with Jack Dhawar (East) finishing 31st and George Moll (East) 47th.
Lucy Raper produced a fantastic run in the Minor Girls event to finish second, and fellow East Northumberland representatives and club colleagues Zoe Tomlinson and Emily Vermass finished 19th and 44th respectively.
Three Morpeth Harriers and East Northumberland representatives featured in the top ten finishers in the Junior Girls event with Sophie Pledger 5th, Faye Heatley 8th, and Emma Tomlinson 10th.  Anna Archibald, representing East Northumberland, finished 61st.
Two athletes from Morpeth Harriers and East Northumberland faced the starter in the Intermediate Girls event, with Molly Roche battling well to finish 11th, and Iris Dungait in 23rd spot.