Laura Weightman was presented with her Morpeth Harriers lifetime membership in recognition of her outstanding achievements in athletics at the club's awards and social night. The four times World Championships representative, European and Commonwealth medallist, two times Olympian and former British 1500m champion received her honour from club President Jim Alder at the celebration at Bar Luga in Morpeth. Laura had already had a lifetime membership, attained by her constitutional right, having attended three major games. The award was a further token of the club's long-term appreciation of her competitive service, and taking the name of the club to a higher plain, something club officials had wished to do earlier. You can read more about Laura's achievements below. Laura, who announced her retirement from the sport last year, also presented a raft of awards to fellow Morpeth Harriers members. These included prizes for both athletic achievement and for contributions to the club. A full list of the winners is below, along with a gallery of images from the evening which was organised by committee member Paddy Paulsen. Prizes were also handed out for 2022 as there had not been an awards night last year. The event raised much-needed funds for the club and we would like to thank all who attended and generous local businesses for donating raffle prizes. Sporting Morpethian - Best performance by a Boy or Colt: Oliver Calvert Boutflower Cup - Best performance by a Junior or Youth: Joe Dixon GRE Plate - Best Senior track performance: Rory Leonard Northern KO Trophy - Best senior performance field: Mark Banks Bellerby Trophy - Best performance by a lady: Catriona Macdonald GRE Plate Shield - Best female track and field performance: Charlotte Earl Dodds Cup - Most improved athlete: James Tilley Cecil Mitchell Plate - Sportsmanship: Tom Innes Bellerby Shield - Service to the club: Neil McAnany Millennium trophy - Raising the club profile: Vina and Hemant Desai Bill Woods Trophy - Senior Road & XC: Carl Avery Bill Woods Trophy - Young Athletes Road & XC: Will de Vere Owen Bill Woods Trophy - Senior Track & Field Contribution: Mark Banks Most Improved Young Athlete Shield - Ben Moll Tony Ward Trophy - Best Performance by a Young Athlete in the North East XC: Elliott Kelso Medallists Senior women 2022: Rachelle Falloon, Lorna Macdonald, Lindsay Quinn 2023: Robyn Bennett, Lindsay Quinn Veteran women 2022: Kirsty Burville 2023: Laura Mclean Under 17 women 2022: Tabitha Robson, Caitlyn Flanagan, Kate Kennedy Under 15 girls 2022: Molly Roche, Iris Dungait, Megan Potrac 2023: Emma Tomlinson, Megan Potrac, Charlotte Marshall Under 13 girls 2022: Emma Tomlinson, Faye Heatley, Sophie Pledger 2023: Zoe Tomlinson, Faye Heatley, Lucy Raper Under 11 girls 2022: Lucy Raper, Zoe Tomlinson, Emily Vermass 2023: Heather Bailie, Emily Hodgson Senior men 2022 - Connor Marshall, Andy Lawrence, Anthony Liddle 2023 - Alex Brown Lee Cuthbertson Veteran men 2022 - Dave Stabler, Dave Nicholson 2023 - Gavin Bayne, Alistair MacDonald, Dave Nicholson Under 20 men 2023 - Will de Vere Owen, Liam Roche, James Tilley Under 17 men 2022 - Will de Vere Owen, Bertie Marr, Ryan Davies 2023 - Ollie Calvert, Joe Close, Elliott Kelso Under 15 boys 2022 - Oliver Calvert, Oli Tomlinson, Ben Moll 2023 - Ben Moll, Daniel Scott, Harry Douglas Under 13 boys 2022 - Ewan Line, Evan Laude, Daniel Vermass 2023 - Ewan Line, Daniel Vermass, Evan Laude Under 11 boys 2022: Jack Thompson, Jacob Thompson, Mason Gaylor 2023: Luke Thompson Event galleryLaura WeightmanClub Chairman David Swinburne read out the following tribute to Laura Weightman at the awards night:
Laura began her Morpeth Harriers, and athletics career in a most emphatic style, by winning the North East Cross Country Under 13 Girls title at Darlington, as a mere 12-year-old in 2003. That Championship came about, only a few days after being discovered by Morpeth Coach Tony Ward, during one of his outstanding Sportshall Athletics competitions. During the next few years Laura also linked up with Mike Bateman, who helped her further her talents towards National prominence. It wasn’t long before Laura became noticed on an International scale, generated from her success in English Schools competitions, and so began her long association under the guidance of leading performance coach, Steve Cram, not only a TV pundit, but himself a former International, and fellow Olympian. It was in 2010, that Laura had her first real taste of International competition, beginning with the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, where she finished sixth in the 1500m. Not long after that, Laura made her first Diamond League appearance, in the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace, where she finished ninth in the 1500m, taking a whole five seconds off the time she had clocked in the Junior Championships. Various global challenges awaited Laura during 2011, however in 2012 she achieved her wildest of dreams, a place in the Olympic Games, on her own doorstep, London. After two gruelling rounds in the Women’s 1500m, she won a most coveted place in the Final, where she finished seventh, against some of the World’s best. Laura had indeed arrived, as over the course of the next seven years, she made it to four World Championships, two European Games, two Commonwealths, and a second Olympics in 2016 in Rio in Brazil. During this period, she also won five British Championships in the 1500m. Throughout all of this period, Laura also continued to represent her club in regional, northern, and national competitions, both on the road, and cross country, with a great deal of measured success, both individually, and on the team front. More recently in 2022, Laura made her last appearance for her club at the Signals Relays in Hetton Le Hole, before her enforced retirement from the sport, she left with a distinctive winner’s mark, by breaking the Women’s course record, and leading Morpeth Senior Women to an excellent team victory. Laura continues her involvement in the sport by actively coaching a small group of athletes in Leeds, who include our very own Phil Winkler, and in that light, as we thank you for your years of service to our club, we also applaud your continued contribution in developing the sport over future years. Words: George Patterson
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