THIS WEEKS NEWS.....

Start Fitness North East Grand Prix (3)

The main event at the third Start Fitness North East Grand Prix meeting 
held at Gateshead International Stadium on Wednesday 17th June 2015, 
the Stan Long Mile, saw Morpeth Harriers Nathan Cox and Ross Floyd 
finish in third and fourth places respectively.
Cox was first from the Under 20 Men’s section, clocking a time of 4m34.6s, 
and Floyd was third Senior Man, posting a time of 4m39.0s.

In his first ever 200m race, Joe Elder finished second in his heat, 
and his time of 24.5s was fourth from his Under 20 age group.

Daniel Moore maintained his excellent sprint form by slightly bettering 
his Northern Championship time from the previous Saturday, 
when he finished second in the Senior 100m.
Slightly later he followed it up by a good run in the 200m, 
where he finished as second fastest in 23.5s.
Also competing from Morpeth Harriers in the 100m was Veteran Wayne Gedge, 
who clocked 12.8s, which placed him as eighth fastest Senior Man.

Holly Peck produced another superb run in the Under 13 Girls 1500m, 
which she won in a slightly slower time than her North Eastern Championship run, 
when she clocked 5m11.9s.
The run of the night by a Morpeth Harrier in this event was undoubtedly 
the one by Rhiannon Hedley, who was third fastest in 5m15.7s, 
knocking a whole six seconds off her previous best.
Lily Heaton was the other Morpeth Harrier in action in this event, 
and she finished sixth in 5m32.4s.

The busiest Morpeth Harrier on the night was undoubtedly Ross Charlton, 
who competed in no less than three events, two of them on the track.
He clocked a new personal best of 14.0s in the Under 15 Boys 100m, 
which gave him the fifth fastest in his age group.
Ross then ran the eighth fastest time in the 1500m, where he clocked 4m54.7s.
He then turned his hand to Long Jump, 
where he finished fifth, producing a best effort of 3.98m.

Other Morpeth Harriers competing in the Under 15 Boys events were 
Joe Dowd, Connor Marshall, and Matthew Waterfield.
Dowd finished fourth fastest in the 1500m with his time of 4m44.3s, 
and Marshall’s clocking of 4m51.6s gave him seventh fastest, 
whilst Waterfield’s 5m02.8s gave him tenth fastest.

Adam Shewry clocked 5m23.2s in his first ever Mile race, 
which saw him finish third in the Under 17 Men’s age group.
Morpeth’s Abby Sheldon clocked 6m00.2s 
as the only Under 17 Woman in the Mile events.

In her very first run in the league, Morpeth Harrier newcomer Ellie Coxon 
performed well in the Under 15 Girls 1500m, where she was seventh fastest in 5m41.2s.

Morpeth Harriers only Field Event athlete in action was young Daniel Dowd, 
who continued to progress by throwing 21.36m in the Under 13 Boys Javelin, 
which saw him finish fourth in his age group.



Northumberland Schools Track and Field Championships

Whilst temperatures had cooled somewhat, there was still a depth of warmth in athletes 
performances at the annual Northumberland Schools Track and Field Championships, 
held at Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday 13th June 2015.

Amongst those athletes were several from the ranks of Morpeth Harriers, 
who not only achieved wins in their respective events, 
in some cases they produced excellent championship bests.

Notable amongst these were Junior Throwers Ruaridh Lang (Boys), 
and Bobbie Griffiths (Girls), who were East Northumberland representatives, 
who respectively each achieved championship bests of the highest order.
These two athletes have been in exceptional form of late, and they certainly 
continued in this vein as they both achieved two event victories.

Lang’s best of all came in the Discus, which he very comfortably won by 
producing a championship best of 41.36m, 
which was just over eight metres clear of his closest rival, 
was just under five metres ahead of the event best, 
and more importantly was well inside the English Schools standard, 
which will see him clearly through to those championships, 
which take place at the same venue next month.

He also looks set to compete in the Shot competition, 
following a victory with a best of 11.32m, which although was still just over 
two metres short of the event best, was still inside the English Schools standard, 
which will probably see him double up, for what could be one of the county’s 
biggest prospects for a double haul of National medals.

Griffiths for her part also looks to be a good candidate for National medal prospects.
She won the Junior Girls Javelin by producing an excellent 35.62m, 
which was just over a   metre and a half inside the championship best, 
but was also two and a half metres inside the English Schools standard.
Griffiths also had an impressive victory in the Discus with her best effort of 22.04m.

Apart from Lang and Griffiths, 
other Morpeth Harriers also managed nine individual victories on the day.
Ellie Burt was another who achieved two respective wins 
in the Junior Girls Shot (9.56m), and Hammer (20.10m), 
although in the latter, the East Northumberland athlete was starved of opposition.

Taylor Glover produced an excellent win in the Junior Boys 1500m in 4m24.63s.

Elsewhere in the Junior Boys track events, 
Joe Dowd finished second in the 800m in 2m08.75s, 
and Elliot Cowie finished third in the 300m in 41.37s.

Jacob Hopkins enjoyed his first individual track victory for some time, 
when he won the Intermediate Boys 800m in a time of 2m06.80s.
Behind him in third place was his Morpeth Harriers club-mate Josh Burton, 
who was also representing East Northumberland, and clocked 2m09.94s, 
something he would not have even dreamed of three weeks previously, 
as he nursed a painful and restricting injury.

Another excellent Intermediate Boys winner was Scott Beattie, 
who won the 3000m in 9m09.21s, representing North Tyneside.
Kieran Hedley produced a superb performance when finishing a close second 
to Tynedale’s Max Pearson in the Intermediate Boys 1500m, 
setting brand new figures of 4m14.75s.

In the Intermediate Boys Field events, Mitch Green did well when finishing 
second in the Triple Jump, with his best effort of 11.49m.
Green also competed in the Javelin, where he was fourth with his best effort of 30.78m.

Gregor Sharp had two third places in the 
Intermediate Boys Discus and Hammer, 
with respective efforts of 31.90m and 23.10m
In the Discus he finished just ahead of his 
Morpeth Harriers club-mate Elliot Moore (31.59m).
Moore also finished fourth in the Shot with his best of 10.41m.

The Senior Boys events saw two excellent respective wins 
for Morpeth Harriers Nathan Cox and Adam Gibbs.
Cox, representing North Northumberland won the 800m in 1m58.82s, 
and Gibbs representing North Tyneside won the 1500m in 4m02.17s.
Second place in the 1500m, went to fellow Morpeth Harrier 
James Young of East Northumberland, who clocked 4m15.91s.

Two excellent track performers from Morpeth Harriers in the Junior Girls events 
were Hannah Brown, and Jessica Young-Rogers.
Brown won the Junior Girls 75m Hurdles in 11.9s 
after winning her earlier heat in 12.1s
Young-Rogers enjoyed a victory in the 100m in 13.0s, 
after also winning her heat in 13.1.
She was close to making it a double victory in the 200m; 
however found 27.63s a mere second adrift, when finishing third.
It was indeed an excellent day for Jessica, when she also placed 
third in the High Jump with her clearance of 1.40m.

After finishing second in her heat of the Intermediate Girls 100m, 
East Northumberland’s Naomi Arkle of Morpeth Harriers 
finished third in the later run final in 13.42s.

Another third in the Intermediate Girls  events was Abby Sheldon, 
who produced a best of 22.75m in the Javelin.

Georgia Priest finished second in the Intermediate Girls Shot, 
with her best Putt of 9.66m.

Other Morpeth Harrier performances in the 
Northumberland Schools Track and Field Championships 
not already mentioned were as follows

JUNIOR BOYS
300m  Matthew Waterfield (East) (4th) 41.64s, 
800m Matthew Waterfield (East) (9th) 2m18.78s, 
1500m Connor Marshall (East) (8th) 4m48.53s), 
Alex Cunningham (East) (11th) 5m00.14s.

INTERMEDIATE BOYS
100m Declan Stoker (East) (4th) 12.04s, 
Mitch Green (East) (5th) 12.14s, 
400m Will Kelly (North Tyne) (6th) 56.39s, 
800m Jamie Duguid (East) (6th) 2m20.29s, 
1500m Cameron Kirk (Ncle) (7th) 5m02.18s, 
3000m Adam Shewry (East) (4th) 9m59.80s. 

JUNIOR GIRLS
800m Ailsa Jones (East) (9th) 2m38.35s, 
1500m Kate Seymour (East) (7th) 5m40.16s, 
75m Hurdles Harriet Priest (East) (6th) 13.17s, 
High Jump Harriet Priest (East) (5th) 1.35m, 
Long Jump Ailsa Jones (East) (6th) 4.17m, 
Shot Lottie Hume (North Nland) (5th) 8.59m, 
Discus Lottie Hume (North Nland) (4th) 19.63m.

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
1500m Abby Sheldon (North Nland) (5th) 5m22.97s, 
1500m Lizzie Rank (East) (7th) 5m55.59s.