Relay good showing by Houghton teams
JUNIOR ATHLETICS
WHILE Morpeth’s under-20 team won the gold medals at the National Cross-Country Relay Championships in Mansfield, Houghton Harriers were the pick of the rest of region’s squads.
Houghton finished 12th in the under-17 women’s contest, 13th in the under-15 girls and 14th in the under-17 men, making it a successful day for the club.
Houghton were the region’s only representatives in the 3x2.5k under17 women’s relay, Lydia James handing over to Eva Hardie in 28th place. Hardie reeled in 10 rivals to pass on to Anna Pigford who brought the team home in 12th place.
Six North East clubs lined up in the under-15 girls’ event run over a distance of 2k, with the Houghton trio of Amy Leonard, Erin KeelerClarke and Nicole Phillips finishing in 13th place out of 96 teams, while Birtley finished 10 seconds adrift of Houghton in 18th place.
North Shields Poly finished 49th; Gateshead were 53rd; Gosforth 80th and Blackhill Bounders 82nd.
In the under-17 men’s 3x3k championship, the Houghton trio of Henry Johnson, Sam Gibson and Will Bellamy finished in 14th place, one position ahead of Middlesbrough, with Morpeth finishing 18th.
It was Gateshead who led the region’s charge in the under-15 boys’ contest, although a depleted Birtley team had something to smile about after Chris Perkins came into the first changeover in second spot.
Gateshead, led by a back-to-form David Race, finished 18th two places and three seconds ahead of Morpeth with North Shields Poly crossing the line in 30th position.
In the under-13 girls’ 3x2k relay Middlesbrough were just run out of a podium place after finishing fourth while Gateshead were 31st, Gosforth 39th, North Shields Poly 49th, Gateshead B 50th and Blackhill Bounders 56th.
Morpeth were the first North East team to finish in the under-13 boys’ 3x2k contest, the Northumbrians coming home in 24th place.
Gateshead were next in 53rd spot followed by North Shields Poly (77th) and Gosforth (83rd).
Houghton finished 12th in the under-17 women’s contest; 13th in the under-15 girls and 14th in the under-17 men making it a successful day