lucky 13 for morpeth at necaa champs

Morpeth Harriers athletes achieved a total of 13 medals at the annual NECAA Track and Field Championships, held at Shildon 2000 Stadium on 10 and 11 May.
Under 15 Girl Sophie Pledger was the brightest of the club’s performers, as she won two Gold Medals in the 200m and 300m, respectively.
In the 200m on the Saturday, Pledger just got the nod from the judges for victory, as she posted a time of 27.07s, a season’s best, having qualified for the final earlier, by winning her heat in 27.18s.
In the 300m on Sunday, her victory was a little more clear cut, as she posted a winning time of 42.23s, which was a personal best.
Another Saturday Gold Medallist from Morpeth was Senior Man Peter Smallcombe, who won the 1500m in a time of 4m06.33s, just ahead of his club colleague Finn Brodie, who took the Silver Medal in 4m06.59s, a season’s best.
In addition to Pledgers’ 300m Gold Medal win on the Sunday, the club added another three of the same colour in the Sunday competition.
Under 17 Woman Hammer Thrower Alexandria Hodgson produced a lifetime-best effort of 52.44m, which was only a mere metre adrift of the Championship record for her age group.
Senior Man Alistair Douglass collected a very welcome Gold Medal, when he took the 800m title in a season’s-best performance of 1m58.30s.
The third Gold Medal on Sunday, went to another Morpeth Senior Man in the form of Connor Marshall, who took the 5000m title, posting a season’s best of 15m24.08s.
In her first ever North East Track and Field Championship, Morpeth Under 15 Girl Heidi Wilkinson won an excellent Silver Medal in the 3000m in Saturday’s first day of competition, posting a time of 11m18.74s, it was also her first attempt at the distance on the track.
Unfortunately, she missed out on medals on the Sunday in the 1500m, when she finished fourth in a time of 5m06.89s, behind teenage sensation Gabriele Pinder of New Marske, who front ran to win in 4m34.11s.
Another Morpeth Silver medallist on the Sunday was Under 20 Man Joseph Close, who only just lost out to North Shields Poly’s Zac Brannon by a whisker in the 800m, when he clocked 1m56.35s.
Making his championship debut, Morpeth Under 15 Boy Charlie Townsend secured a Bronze medal in the 300m, when he posted a time of 44.37s.
Earlier in the day, he had also finished sixth in the final of the 100m, where he posted 13.45s.
Other Bronze medallists from Morpeth Harriers on day one on the Saturday were Over 55 Veteran Ben Harding in the 400m, where he posted a time of 57.58s, Under 15 Boy Mason Gaylor in the 1500m, who posted a personal best of 4m39.56s, and Under 20 Man Ollie Tomlinson, who also produced new figures of 4m15.05s in his 1500m.
Tomlinson’s younger siblings Emma and Zoe were also in action.
On the Sunday, Emma finished fifth in the Under 17 Women’s 1500m in 5m28.64s, whilst Under 15 Girl Zoe finished eighth in what was her first County Track and Field Championships, posting a time of 5m28.08s.
Under 23 Man Ethan Bond competed in both the 800m and 1500m at Senior level, but on both occasions was unlucky to lose out on medals, as he finished fourth and fifth, posting respective times of 2m04.12s, and 4m15.13s.
Other Morpeth members outside the medals, were Senior Man Lee Cuthbertson, who finished tenth in the 5000m in 16m39.17s, and Veteran Man Paul Bellingham, who finished fourth in the 400m in a time of 68.80s.
Thankfully, it was an excellent sunny weekend throughout the two days of competition, glorious sunshine, with a mere whisper of wind, and very much enjoyed by the seven hundred plus athletes who took part across the many disciplines.
Many thanks to Shildon Stadium for accommodating.