low turnout hampers young athletes

Morpeth Harriers Young Athletes made a disappointing start to their NEYDL Division 2 season in their opening match held at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium on Sunday 21 April.
Despite efforts made by joint Team Managers David Swinburne (Boys), and Julie Roche (Girls), the club only managed to turn out a total of 17 athletes between them, hardly enough to mount a serious team challenge.
As a result, the hard-working squad who did turn out, could only finish seventh out of eight competing teams, and unless there is a significant improvement in turnout over the next three matches, beginning at Shildon next month, it is going to be an uphill struggle to improve.
To be fair, the small number who did turn out, did their level best in their respective performances, and there were some good achievements, along with some positive attitudes.
One of the most positive was Under 13 Boy Mason Gaylor, who made a superb start by winning both the 200m (30.4s), and 800m (2m27.40s) on the track, and in the Field Events won the B String Javelin (7.54m).
Unfortunately Mason was one of only two Under 13 Boys who turned out on the day, the other being Jack Dhawar, who finished third in the B String 200m (36.8s), second in the B String 800m (2m58.0s), and second in the A String Javelin (11.5m).
There were some better results to come however for Morpeth, created by their three Under 13 Girls who turned out.
Lucy Raper took part in three of their events, winning the A String 800m in 2m42.20s, where Heidi Wilkinson made it a double victory for her club, by taking the B Race in 2m47.20s.
Raper went on to also triumph in the Discus by throwing 16.97m and finished fifth in the Shot Putt (performance to confirm).
Morpeth’s other Under 13 Girl was Zoe Tomlinson, who produced an excellent run to win the 1500m in 5m 23.0s and was sixth in the 200m (35.7s).
The best result in the Under 15 Girls events, came from the 1500m, where Emma Tomlinson finished second in the A Race 5m14.65s, and Faye Heatley took the B Race in 5m36.67s.
Emma also finished fifth in the 300m (51.6s) and threw 15.1m in the Javelin for third place.
Miya Young finished sixth in the 200m (31.1s) and was seventh in the 800m in 2m49.36s.
Daniel Scott very nearly won the Under 17 Men’s 800m, just losing out in the final 50m to Blaydon/Wallsend/Gosforth’s Ben Garbutt, as he posted a time of 2m19.43s.
Scott was one of only four Morpeth Under 17 Men who turned out on the day, and he teamed up with Steven Craske in the Long Jump, winning the B event with a best of 3.65m, while Craske finished second in the A String, producing a best of 4.47m.
In the sprints, Connor Phillips finished fifth in the 100m (12.0s), and fourth in the 200m (24.4s).
Craske finished fourth in the 100m B Race in 13.3s.
Morpeth’s Harry Armstrong finished second in the Under 17 Men’s 1500m in 4m35.54s.
The club only had five Under 17 Women in their line-up.
In the sprints, Abigail Kahn finished third in the 100m (13.9s), and fourth in the 200m (28.5s).
Megan Potrac and Charlotte Marshall teamed up for Morpeth in the Under 17 Women’s 300m and 800m events.
In the 300m A Race Potrac finished fifth in 54.0s, and Marshall was third in the B Race in 55.4s.
Potrac was fifth in the 800m A Race in 2m54.65s, and Marshall posted a time of 2m58.71s to finish fourth in the B Race.
Making her Morpeth track debut, Lucy Todd finished fourth in the 1500m in 5m52.50s.
Mollie Roche competed for Morpeth in the Under 17 Women’s Field Events, finishing second in the Javelin with a best of 7.75m, and third in the Discus with 12.7s.
Team Managers Swinburne and Roche, hope to see a better turnout when their charges are in second round action at Shildon on Sunday 19 May.
MATCH RESULT
1st Chester Le Street/Durham C 715.5pts, 2nd Middlesbrough/Houghton/Derwentside 618pts, 3rd Blyth/Alnwick 519pts, 4th Blaydon/Wallsend/Gosforth 463pts, 5th Heaton/Tyne Bridge 430pts, 6th New Marske 413.5pts, 7th Morpeth Harriers 343pts, 8th Tynedale/Prudhoe 261pts.