Holly tops League’s Pecking order again
HOLLY PECK repeated her victory of the previous week by claiming her second Start Fitness North East Harrier League success of the campaign, writes BILL McGUIRK.
The Morpeth athlete, competing in the under-17/20 contest, defied a handicap of 1min 15secs to come home well clear in pole position.
Elswick’s Suzannah Fielding finished second followed by Houghton’s Lara Megan Greggs the pair holding off the fast-finishing Rhian Purves (Gosforth) who came through from a 2:30 handicap to record the fastest time of the day.
Peck also had the distinction of leading the Northumbrians to the team award.
In the under-15 girls’ race Sunderland’s Shenali Scott enjoyed a five-second cushion at the line, Tynedale’s Ciara Thornley finishing runner-up ahead of Houghton’s Erin Keeler Clarke.
Ines Curran (Gateshead), who finished fourth, was the quickest on the course from a 1:40 penalty.
North Shields Poly, who were led home by fifth-placed Gracie Davies, came out on top in the team stakes.
Chester-le-Street’s Freya Clarkson defied a 1:40 handicap to work her way through to pole position in the under-13 girls’ contest.
Caitlyn Davies (North Shields Poly) was overhauled in the closing stages - ending up just two seconds adrift of the winner as Gosforth’s Alice Lewis completed the podium places.
Durham City, with Charlotte Dillon in fourth, won the team race.
The under-17 men’s contest was won by Houghton’s Henry Johnson, who had a cushion of 53 seconds over Jarrow and Hebburn’s Jamie Barnshaw as Ben Murray-John (Alnwick) finished in third place.
Fastest on the course was Morpeth’s Daniel Melling, who 24 hours earlier had competed in the National Road Relay Championships in Sutton Coldfield.
Alnwick headed the team stakes, holding off their Northumberland rivals Morpeth by six points.
In a strong under-15 boys’ field, Birtley’s Chris Perkins got the better of main rival Josh Blevins (North Shields Poly) by 12 seconds.
Tom Slane defied a 1:40 penalty to work his way through to first place in the under-13 boys’ event.
The Blackhill Bounders’ athlete just overhauled Blaydon’s Francis Thomas in the closing stages to claim victory by six seconds as Houghton’s Brandon Pye, who also worked his way through from a 1:40 handicap, received the third-place award.
North Shields Poly, led by sixthplaced Ben Maley, won the team race.
In the under-11 ‘Try Cross-Country’ contests, Poppy Wilde (Elswick) and Zak Brannon (North Shields Poly) repeated their Wrekenton victories of the previous weekend. LEADING RESULTS - Under-17 men: 1 H Johnson (Hough) 16:42; 2 J Barnshaw (J&H) 17:35; 3 B John (Alnw) 17:57; 4 C Lawton (Sund) 18:08; 5 J Collinson (NSP) 18:31; 6 D Melling (Morp) 18:32; 7 C McMillan (Gates) 18:33; 8 R Bennett (Morp) 18:44; 9 B Harvey (Alnw) 18:46; 10 M Breeze (Alnw) 18:46. Fastest: 1 D Melling 16:02; 2 C McMillan 16:03; 3 R Bennett 16:14. Team: Alnwick.
Under-15 boys: 1 C Perkins (Birt) 11:06; 2 J Blevins (NSP) 11:18; 3 R Teasdale (BillMshHs) 12:07; 4 W McKenna (DurC) 12:32; 5 B Hodgson (BillMshHs) 12:50; 6 S Thompson (BhillBnds) 12:55; 7 C Giblin (Crook) 12:56; 8 O McKenna (DurC) 13:00; 9 E Duffin (Morp) 13:04; 10 G Batley (Alnw) 13:07. Fastest: 1 C Perkins 11:06; 2 J Blevins 11:18; 3 E Duffin 11:24. Team: Billingham Marsh House.
Under-13 boys: 1 T Slane (BhillBnds) 13:23; 2 F Thomas (Blay) 13:29; 3 B Pye (Hough) 13:37; 4 J Robertson (Elsw) 13:41; 5 B Marr (Morp) 13:48; 6 B Maley (NSP) 13:52; 7 R Davies (Morp) 13:54; 8 R Elsworth (NSP) 14:00; 9 E Bond (Gosf) 14:05; 10 O Flockton (Crook) 14:09. Fastest: 1 T Slane 11:43; 2 B Pye 11:57; 3 B Marr 12:08. Team: North Shields Poly.
Under-11 boys: 1 Z Brannon (NSP) 5:30; 2 J McGinley (Hough) 5:37; 3 L Pichler (Walls) 5:47; 4 T Pigford (Hough) 5:58; 5 W Jardine (DurC) 6:05; 6 S Emery (BhillBnds) 6:12; 7 M Drummond (Birt) 6:14; 8 J Gaukrodger (NSP) 6:16; 9 H Steven (SthSh) 6:18; 10 W Cook (DurC) 6:21.
Under-20/17 women: 1 H Peck (Morp) 19:43; 2 S Fielding (Elsw) 20:29; 3 L Greggs (Hough) 20:33; 4 R Purves (Gosf) 20:48; 5 L Heaton (Morp) 21:01; 6 H Tumia (Elsw) 21:02; 7 L Shaw(Gosf) 21:12; 8 CWellings (Gates) 21:15; 9 ISpiers (Tyne) 21:26; 10 C Fairclough (Birt) 21:35. Fastest: R Purves 18:18; 2 H Peck 18:28; 3 S Robson (J&H) 19:28. Team: Morpeth. Under-15 girls: 1 S Scott (Sund) 13:12; 2 C Thornley (Tyne) 13:19; 3 E Keeler Clark (Hough) 13:24; 4 I Curran (Gates) 13:44; 5 G Davies (NSP) 13:55; 6 L Robson (NSP) 14:01; 7 J Ord (Gates) 14:14; 8 E Chong (Ch-le-St) 14:17; 9 A Leonard (Hough) 14:27; 10 O Carruthers (Morp) 14:30. Fastest: I Curran 12:04; 2 E Chong 12:37; 3 A Leonard 12:47. Team: North Shields Poly. Under-13 girls: 1 F Clarkson (Ch-le-St) 14:54; 2 C Davies (NSP) 14:56; 3 A Lewis (Gosf) 15:01; 4 C Dillon (DurC) 15:02; 5 C Hobbs (Heat) 15:06; 6 F Gibson (DurC) 15:07; 7 A Crowder (Gates) 15:09; 8 R Swatman (Heat) 15:15; 9 E Price (Alnw) 15:21; 10 R Harrison (SthSh) 15:28. Fastest: 1 F Clarkson 13:14; 2 A Lewis 13:21; 3 C Dillon 13:22. Team: Durham City. Under-11 girls: 1 P Wilde (Elsw) 5:54; 2 D Graham (Birt) 5:56; 3 S Quinn (BillMshHs) 5:58; 4 A Jones (Ch-le-St) 6:07; 5 M Graham (Birt) 6:11; 6 C Atkinson (NSP).