Grade time is had by all at League meets
JUNIOR ATHLETICS
HARROGATE Harriers again took the honours in the North East Youth Development League Division One fixture held in Morpeth.
The Yorkshire outfit have now won two of the three matches so far this season - and with just one fixture to go at Hexham on July 15 it looks as though they will be crowned champions.
Hosts Morpeth Harriers finished runners-up behind Harrogate and moved into second place in the table ahead of North Shields Poly, who denied Harrogate victory in the second match, and New Marske.
At the other end of the table, title holders Blaydon are in danger of being relegated unless they can pull out something special next month.
Morpeth’s Jessica Gardiner was in impressive form in winning the under-15 discus with a grade one standard of 28:26 metres, while in the hammer competition she set a new league record with a throw of 33:89m.
There were numerous other grade one performances including North Shields Poly duo Josh Blevins, who took the under-13 boys’ 1,500m (4:21.30), and James Wordsworth, who claimed maximum points in the under-17 discus contest with a throw of 41:67m.
Morpeth’s Amy Lott prevailed in the under-15 75m hurdles - also with a grade one standard of 11.84s.
In Division Two North, Gateshead Harriers took the honours for the third time this summer with a resounding victory at Hexham.
The Tynesiders are on target for promotion, Tynedale and the combined Blyth/Alnwick team battling it out for second place.
Jack Halpin was again in superb form for Gateshead in the under-15 age group, setting two new league records with a superb hammer throw of 52:41m and a javelin effort of 43:54m.
In his favoured shot competition, while it was a grade one performance, his 14:12m was just short of his own league best figures.
Another two Gateshead athletes also rewrote the record books, Georgina Mabbott setting new figures in the under-13 long jump (4:58m) - she also claimed a grade one standard in the 70m hurdles (11.9s) - and Ines Curran doing likewise to secure the under-15 1,500m in 4:41.19.
Host club Tynedale celebrated a grade one performance by Kate Smith after she won the under-15 75m hurdles (11.8s).
That was repeated for the combined Blyth/Alnwick team when Heather Macdonald set a new under-17 200m league record with a time of 27.7s.
In the Division Two South fixture in Darlington Durham City came out on top for the third time in a row and are close to being promoted.
The combined Sedgefield/Derwentside team are in second place.
Birtley’s Molly Elliott set a new league record of 3:30m to win the under-17 pole vault contest.
MATCH SCORES - Division One: 1 Harrogate 857pts; 2 Morpeth 700; 3 New Marske 61; 4 Blaydon 629; 5 North Shields Poly 617.5; 6 Chester-le-Street 189.5. League standings (after three fixtures): 1 Harrogate 17pts; 2 Morpeth 13; 3= North Shields Poly and New Marske 11; 5 Blaydon 8; 6 Chester-le-Street 3. Division Two North: 1 Gateshead 819pts; 2 Tynedale 614.5; 3 Wallsend/Gosforth 422.5; 4 Blyth/Alnwick 411; 5 South Shields/Elswick 283; 6 Jarrow and Hebburn 196. League standings (after three fixtures): 1 Gateshead 18pts; 2= Tynedale and Blyth/Alnwick 13; 4 Wallsend/Gosforth 10; 5 Jarrow and Hebburn 5; 6 South Shields/Elswick 4. Division Two South: 1 Durham City 557pts; 2 Sedgfield/ Derwentside 436; 3 Darlington 3467; 4 Birtley 339.5; 5 Richmond and Zetland 289; 6 Houghton 258.5. League standings (after three fixtures): 1 Durham City 18pts; 2 Sedgefield/Derwentside 14; 3 Darlington 12; 4 Birtley 9; 5 Houghton 6; 6 Richmond and Zetland 4.