A bumper field enjoys a stroll in Temple Park
DESPITE warnings of snow, competitors encountered near-perfect conditions at the Northumberland Schools’ Cross-Country Championships at Temple Park, South Shields.
The eight-race programme, which attracted more than 400 athletes, went off smoothly thanks to Kevin Flannery and his team - the event completed inside two hours.
First up was the minor boys’ race and it was a comfortable victory for Tom Slane, representing Newcastle, who won by 32 seconds from Max MurrayJohn (North Northumberland) with Ethan Bond (Newcastle) third.
Newcastle, who also had Noah Curran in fourth, took the team event.
The senior boys’ race was a runaway success for North Northumberland’s Rory Leonard who had nearly a minute in hand over runner-up Kieran Hedley (Newcastle) - Leonard’s team-mate Taylor Glover clinching third spot.
Newcastle, with six counters inside the top 17, won the team contest.
Next up was the minor girls’ event over 2.6 kilometres and it was North Tyneside’s Katie Joslyn who came home in pole position followed by Faye Landless (Newcastle) and Tynedale’s Zara Naughton.
Newcastle again proved strongest overall to lift the team award.
The junior girls faced a distance of three kilometres and it was Newcastle’s Ines Curran who took the major honours, winning by 24 seconds with Lauren Brown (North Northumberland) holding off Olivia Katory (Newcastle) to claim the runners-up award. With Kate Salthouse in fourth place, Newcastle came out on top again to claim the team prize.
The junior boys’ race was over four kiometres and victory went to Newcastle’s Ethan McGlen.
He had 16 seconds in hand over runner-up Euan Duffin of East Northumberland with Josh Blevins (North Tyneside) in third.
Newcastle, with six scorers inside the top 12, won yet another team race.
The intermediate girls lined up with the senior girls for their four-kilometre contest and first home in the older age group was Tynedale’s Robyn Bennett, Isobel Chaudry (Newcastle) second and North Tyneside’s Erin Prior third.
The intermediate girls’ race was won by East Northumberland’s Holly Peck, who crossed the line second overall.
Tynedale pair Suzannah Fielding and Hannah Tumla were second and third respectively to lead Tynedale to a welcome team success.
The final event was the intermediate boys’ 5.3k race and it was a success for Newcastle’s Tom Charlton.
He had a cushion of 22 seconds at the line over East Northumberland’s Ross Charlton with Dan Melling, also of Newcastle, third.
Newcastle just held off East Northumberland to win the team section. LEADING RESULTS - minor boys (2.6k): 1 T Slane (Ncle) 10:10; 2 M Murray-John (NthN) 10:42; 3 E Bond (Ncle) 10:43; 4 N Curran (Ncle) 10:45; 5 C Simpson (Tyne) 10:55; 6 C Whittaker (NthT) 10:56; 7 B Marr (NthN) 10:58; 8 A Cummings (EastN) 11:00. Team: Newcastle. Junior boys (4k): 1 E McGlen (Ncle) 14:43; 2 E Duffin (EastN) 14:59; 3 J Blevins (NthT) 15:03; 4 L White (Tyne) 15:37; 5 W Collinson (Ncle) 15:52; 6 D Davies (EastN) 15:59; 7 K Mutch (Ncle) 16:02; 8 R Robson (Tyne) 16:18. Team: Newcastle. Intermediate boys (5.3k): 1 S Charlton (Ncle) 18:18; 2 R Charlton (EastN) 18:40; 3 D Melling (Ncle) 18:47; 4 D Dixon (EastN) 19:12; 5 J Fiddaman (EastN) 19:18; 6 T Sursham (NthT) 19:29; 7 O Onley (NorthN) 19:38; 8 T Balsdon (EastN) 19:42. Team: Newcastle. Senior boys (6.3k): 1 R Leonard (EastN) 21:18; 2 K Hedley (Ncle) 22:13; 3 T Glover (EastN) 22:26; 4 P Donald (Ncle) 23:33; 5 M Waterfield (EastN) 23:38; 6 M Pearson (Tyne) 23:41; 7 J Morris (Ncle) 23:43; 8 W Dixon (Ncle) 23:46. Team: East Northumberland. Minor girls (2.6k): 1 K Joslyn (NthT) 11:34; 2 F Landless (Ncle) 11:47; 3 Z Naughton (Tyne) 11:53; 4 C Payton (NthT) 12:00; 5 L Cottee (Ncle) 12:01; 6 C Flanagen (Ncle) 12:06; 7 I Bungay (Ncle) 12:06; 8 N Grinberga (NthN) 12:23. Team: Newcastle. Junior girls (3k): 1 I Curran (Ncle) 11:27; 2 L Brown (NthN) 11:51; 3 O Katory (Ncle) 11:55; 4 K Salthouse (Ncle) 11:59; 5 M Breeze (NthN) 12:06; 6 A Ellis (Ncle) 12:16; 7 R Hughes (NthT) 12:24; 8 L Robson (EastN) 12:25. Team: Newcastle. Intermediate girls (4k): 1 H Peck (EastN) 17:00; 2 S Fielding (Tyne) 17:49; 3 H Tumla (Tyne) 17:50; 4 L Heaton (EastN) 18:21; 5 G Varley (Ncle) 18:25; 6 C Wellings (Tyne) 18:45; 7 R Lally (Tyne) 19:07; 8 E Matheson (Ncle) 19:15. Team: Tynedale. Senior girls (4k): 1 R Bennett (Tyne) 16:46; 2 I Chaudry (Ncle) 17:05; 3 E Prior (NthT) 17:10; 4 G Hufton (EastN) 17:23; 5 I Robinson (NthT) 17:32; 6 H Matheson (Ncle) 17:41; 7 E Tait (NthT) 17:47; 8 S Robinson (NthN) 18:34.