northumberland triumph at northern schools xc champs

Northumberland were very easily the clear winners at Saturday’s Northern Schools Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, held at Silksworth Complex.
The event was the final stepping stone before the English Schools Championships, scheduled to be held at Nottingham’s Wollaton Park in March, and the performances of several athletes from the ranks of Morpeth Harriers, cemented their possibilities of earning a place on the County Bus for the much coveted trip.
Northumberland were victorious in both the Male and Female sections, and their overall margin of victory over second placed Durham was all of around 160 points, with North Yorkshire third, and Cumbria taking the Wooden Spoon.
The event victories of Morpeth’s Joe Dixon (Senior Boys), and Ollie Calvert (Intermediate Boys) were the obvious highlights, Dixon winning by four seconds from Northumberland Team-Mate Josh Blevins of Gateshead Harriers, and Calvert winning by four seconds from North Yorkshire’s Jack Sanderson, who competes for Settle.
Dixon, who led Northumberland to Senior Boys team success, was joined in the triumph by fellow Morpeth Harriers Will Devere-Owen (5th), James Tilley (6th), and Matthew Walton (9th).
Other notable Morpeth performers in the Senior Boys event were Ethan Phillips (12th), Ryan Davies (13th), Liam Roche (14th), and Bertie Marr (20th).
There were fifty-seven finishers in the Senior Boy’s event.
Calvert also led Northumberland Intermediate Boys to team victory over North Yorkshire, with Morpeth Harriers club colleague Elliot Kelso coming home in third place as the second counter for the county.
Fourth counter for the winning Northumberland Intermediate Boys was another Morpeth Harrier in the form of Joe Close, who finished twelfth in the field of sixty-eight finishers.
Unfortunately, Morpeth Harriers other entrant in the Intermediate Boys event, Oliver Tomlinson, suffered a leg injury during the race, struggling home outside the scoring counters in 28th place.
In contrast to this, Tomlinson’s younger sister Emma had an excellent run, and finished eleventh, and third counter for a third placed Northumberland Junior Girls squad.
Other Morpeth Harriers taking part in the Junior Girls event were Megan Potrac and Molly Roche, who finished 62nd and 65th respectively in a seventy-five strong field, however both were outside the scoring counters.
Caitlin Flanagan of Morpeth Harriers finished 28th in the Senior Girls event, but was outside the scoring count, where Northumberland had their sole Female team victory.
George Mavir was the only Morpeth Harrier running in the Junior Boys event.
He finished 63rd in a field of seventy-four finishers.
The club had three athletes lined up in the Minor Boys event.
Ewan Line had an excellent run, coming home in 12th place overall in a field of sixty-four finishers, and was third home for a Northumberland squad who finished as second team.
Other Morpeth Harriers in the line-up were Reuben Jones, and Jack Rothwell who finished 25th and 37th respectively, however were both outside the scoring counters.
As a result of his individual effort, Line may find himself included in a Northumberland Year 7 squad to be selected for another English Schools Cross Country event, to be held a week after the older Championships, at Prestwold Hall, Loughborough.
Three Morpeth Harriers took part in the Minor Girls event, Faye Heatley, Sophie Pledger-Heywood, and Abigail Potrac finished 32nd, 50th, and 61st in a 66 strong field, however all three found themselves outside the scoring counters.
Athletes must now wait patiently as County Selectors ponder over their decisions, however, some will already know their fate after Saturday’s performances.