GRASSROOTS
THIRD PLACE FOR NORTH EAST TEAM
MORE than 30 athletes representing the North East Counties contested the Northern Athletics Inter-Counties Championships at Leigh Sports Village, writes BILL MCGUIRK.
They finished in third place behind strong Yorkshire and Lancashire squads – but the experience gained will be invaluable.
On one of the hottest days of the year an early start for the under-15 and under-17 match was no problem as many of those selected from the region’s clubs produced outstanding victories as well as numerous pbs.
As usual the opening events on the track were the hurdles races and all the North East athletes finished in the first three in their races.
Aaron Lillistone (Blaydon) won the under-15 boys event, while Amy Lott (Morpeth) posted the second fastest time in the under-15 girls contest. It was even better in the under-17 men’s hurdles with Oliver Lewis (Gateshead) and Jarrow and Hebburn’s Curtis Bingham winning both their events.
The under-17 1,500 metres was a tactical affair involving Houghton club mates Will Bellamy and Henry Johnson, with the former taking the race on and leading for over three laps before being overtaken by his colleague with about 250m to go to lead the North East to a resounding one-two.
In the field events, Andrew Knight (Morpeth), who was having his first competition after injury, proved a convincing winner in the under-17 shot put competition, while Gateshead’s Luke Allen made it a double by winning the B event.
Although the North East only had two pole vaulters making the trip, they both managed to set new outdoor pbs with Sam Gorman (Blaydon) winning the boys event and Birtley’s Molly Elliot finishing second in the girls contest.
Jess Gardiner (Morpeth) and Grace McDonald (Middlesbrough) won both the under-15 girls discus contests while, despite having three fouls in the under-15 boys equivalent, Jack Halpin (Gateshead) bounced back to gain maximum points in the shot put.
Back on the track Durham City’s Adam Ord was a convincing winner of the under-17 800m B race setting a faster time than many in the A event where Blyth’s Josh Fiddaman finished in second place after being blocked in.
The under-15 girls sprinters had success at the 100m with Afoma Ofor (Middlesbrough) and Gateshead’s Joy Eze both winning the respective A and B races.
The duo then teamed up with Darlington pair Charlotte Rutter and Darcey Garbutt to win the 4x100m relay. Not to be outdone, the boys quartet of Liam Eastaugh (Gateshead), Thomas Paterson (Jarrow and Hebburn), Daniel Lennie (Gateshead) and Matthew Lumb (Gateshead) also won their race.
The final event of a long programme saw one of the outstanding performances of the day by a North East athlete.
Middlesbrough’s Sam Tyers, earlier in the day, finished runner-up in the 400m, but took his place in his favoured 800m in the medley relay, and anchored the team to a superb victory despite being way off the pace when he started his leg.
Gateshead pair Oliver Lewis and Jamie Hutton ran the opening 200m legs before Sam Gorman took over for the 400m stage.