Youth Development League Inter-league Match

Some of the North East Youth Development League squad at Cudworth

A North East Youth Development League squad of 146 competing athletes, under the stewardship of Morpeth Harriers Coach and Team Manager Dave Thomas, including 21 from the ranks of Morpeth Harriers, travelled to Cudworth, near Barnsley in Yorkshire, on Sunday 1st September 2019 , to compete in the annual Inter League fixture against Yorkshire and District, and once again, and for the fourth year in succession, came away winners, on this occasion by the handsome margin of 198 points.

It was the first occasion that Yorkshire has hosted this fixture, and they certainly did the match proud in terms of organisation, helped of course by a few officials from North East clubs Birtley and North Shields Poly,
who were amongst those helping to run some of the vast number of Field Events,
that spanned the three age groups, and two genders.

The Dorothy Hyman Stadium, named of course after the Yorkshire town’s famous Olympian,
provided the splendid backdrop for a spectacle of athletics, enhanced by the respective excellent talents,
who were individually chosen from the league’s eighteen member clubs, to represent the area on the basis of their equally excellent performances, achieved throughout the season just ended.

In the case of Morpeth Harriers, amongst their 21, (second largest contributors), they provided the North East
with seven individual winners on the day, with three of those athletes enjoying two wins apiece.

Six of the club’s athletes also achieved new personal bests, which was in itself excellent,
especially with it being very much an end of season affair, plus a varying range of weather conditions,
changing between sunny, cloudy, and sometimes wet and windy, throughout the five hours or so of competition.

Charlotte Earl and Jessica Gardiner both achieved two victories in the Under 17 Women’s section.
Earl won both the Long Jump and Triple Jump competitions,
producing respective best efforts of 4.48m and 10.66m.
Meanwhile Gardiner won both the Hammer (41.36m), and Discus (31.27m) events.

Additional Morpeth Harriers performers in the Under 17 Women’s event came from Amy Lott and Rosie Winter,
who both showed exceptional commitment to the cause, by each of them competing in three individual events,
and sharing success in the winning 4 x 100m (51.95s).
Lott competed in the 100m, 200m, and her favoured 80m Hurdles.

She finished second over the obstacles in 12.11s, and although she finished fourth in both sprints,
she set new personal bests of 13.46s and 28.41s respectively.
Meanwhile Winter finished third in the 200m (28.18s), fourth in the Javelin (19.54m),
and seventh in the 100m (13.57s).

Nat Arkle won two events in the U15 Boys section.
He putted 10.83s to win the Shot, and also triumphed in the Discus, with a best throw of 29.33m.

Other Morpeth performers in the Under 15 Boys events were Edward Gardiner,
who was third in the Javelin with a best of 25.50m, Dan Waddington, who was third in the Hammer (22.25m),
and seventh in the Discus (22.11m), Jack Kyte, who was fourth in the 200m (25.24s),
and Ryan Davies, who finished fifth in the 1500m in 4m51.64s.

There were two winners in the Under 17 Men’s section from Morpeth Harriers.
Dylan Gooding won the 1500m in 4m26.69s, and David Sanderson won the Hammer, producing a best of 24.49m.
Sanderson indeed worked his socks off, by also finishing fourth in both the Shot Putt (9.77m),
and Discus (27.17m) events.
Although he could only finish third, Morpeth’s Daniel Dowd produced a personal best of 43.18m in the Javelin.

Victoria Hodgson of Morpeth Harriers was in exceptional form in the Under 13 Girls sprints,
where she produced personal best performances of 10.67s and 21.11s in the 75m and 150m events,
where she placed second and third respectively.
Recent Scottish Gold medal winner Hannah Lott finished second in the 75m Hurdles in 11.88s.
Kaitlyn Waddell finished second in the High Jump with her clearance of 1.35m
and produced new figures of 7.18m in the Shot Putt, finishing third.
Just behind Kaitlyn in the Shot Putt, was her club colleague Georgia Turner,
who also produced new figures of 7.17m.
Hodgson and Lott also competed for the regions 4 x 100m squad, who won in 56.30s.

In the U15 Girls events, Morpeth’s Mia Belton proved to be one of the star performers,
producing a personal best time of 43.08s, when winning the 300m.
Belton also contributed by competing in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 300m events.
Melody Brooks finished second in the 200m in 27.49s, and also produced a best of 17.87m,
to finish fifth in the Discus.
Brooks also contributed by competing in the 4 x 300m squad.
Alice Geoghegan won the Javelin, producing a best throw of 27.65m,
and finished fifth in the 200m in 28.32s.
Geoghegan was also a contributor in the 4 x 300m squad.

Abi Leiper was a tireless worker in the Under 15 Girl events, taking part in the 800m,
finishing third in 2m26.27s, sixth in the 300m in 45.84s, and seventh in the Long Jump, producing a best of 4.16m.

Rounding off the Under 15 Girls performances, Morpeth’s Olivia Carruthers finished seventh in the 300m in 47.49s, and also finished seventh in the Javelin, throwing a best of 18.63m,
and was another contributor to the regions 4 x 300m squad.

In closing, Team Manager Thomas, would also like to thank particularly
Claire Rutter – Darlington/Allerton, Chris Mole -North Shields Poly,
and Jayne Sorrell of Harrogate for their help on the day with athlete guidance,
along with numerous coaches and parents from clubs who gave very valuable support on the day.

A great day, and another great result.

Well Done Everyone!!

Results