U13/U15/U17 Northern Athletics Track and Field Championships

​Morpeth Harriers had three medallists at the first day of competition,
in the combined Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 Northern Athletics Track and Field Championships,
held at the Middlesbrough Athletics Village on Saturday 13th August 2016.

Andrew Knight

In the very first effort in his Under 15 Boys Shot Putt, Andrew Knight achieved a new personal best of 14.30m,
which was a good metre better than his closest rival Shaun Kerry of Kingston upon Hull,
which not only gave him a much treasured Gold Medal, but also a Northern title.

Knight’s progress under the careful guidance of his Morpeth Coach Paul Reed has been quite remarkable,
and this latest achievement is definitely the icing on a well-developed cake.
Since May, Knight has improved his Shot Putt performance from a mere 11.25m to this latest achievement,
which Reed is more than pleased with, and promises that if he continues
to improve to this degree during the forthcoming period,
his charge will indeed be a force to be reckoned with.

The second Morpeth medal also came from the Field events,
where David Thomas secured a Bronze in the Under 17 Men’s Triple Jump,
with a best of 12.73m, which was only a mere 30cm adrift of Silver, and 44cm adrift of the Gold Medal.

Holly Peck was Morpeth Harriers third medallist, finishing just under five seconds
adrift of her Darlington rival India Pentland in the Under 15 Girls 1500m,
with her finishing time of 4m55.02s, to take the Silver medal.

After posting a new personal best of 14.71s, Morpeth’s Koffi Jeje Avornyo
finished sixth in the Final of the Under 13 Boys 100m with a time of 14.82s.
Koffi also competed in the 200m, going out in the Heats with a time of 31.08s.

Morpeth’s Under 15 Boy sprinter Owen Priest finished seventh in the
Final of the 300m with 41.28s, after equalling his personal best of 40.01s in his Heat.
He also competed in the 200m, only to go out in the Heats with 26.90s.

Competing in his very first Northern Championship, Morpeth’s Ethan Stephenson
did well to finish seventh in a tough Under 15 Boys Long Jump, with a best of 5.55m,
an effort which pleased his Coach Steve Garrett.

Another Morpeth Harrier tackling an event for the first time was Under 15 Boy Ross Charlton,
who produced a best of 9.97m in the Triple Jump, to finish fifth.

In the Under 17 Women’s Discus and Shot Putt Finals, Morpeth’s Charlotte Pickering-Pruvot
produced bests of 28.92m and 12.00m to finish sixth and fifth respectively.

Morpeth’s Katie Hilton competed in the Under 17 Women’s Triple Jump and 100m events.
She finished eighth in the Triple Jump with a best of 10.29m,
and went out in her heat of the 100m, posting a time of 13.57s.

Morpeth’s Harriet Priest finished fifth in the Final of the
​Under 17 Women’s 300m Hurdles, posting a time of 49.78s.    

​Another two Championship Medals were added to the club’s tally
on the second day of the Championships on Sunday 14th August.

Bobbie Griffiths

​In her very much favoured Javelin event, Under 17 Woman athlete
Bobbie Griffiths threw a new personal best of 40.24m, to win a Gold Medal
by a margin of just over two and a half metres over East Cheshire’s Paige Ditchfield.

Rory Leonard won a much prized Bronze medal in the Under 17 Men’s 1500m Final,
posting a time of 4m21.97s, which was agonisingly fractionally short of his personal best
which he had posted at Stretford a few day’s previously.

David Thomas was very unfortunate not to take his second medal of the weekend
in the Under 17 Men’s Long Jump, when he produced a best of 6.09m, which was 27cm adrift of Bronze.

Morpeth’s Under 15 Boy athlete Ethan Stephenson enjoyed his second ever Northern Championship appearance,
finishing fifth in the High Jump with a clearance of 1.60m, which was 5cm adrift of a medal placing.