National Indoors and Cross Country
Last weekend saw local young athletes in competition at the highest of levels at National Championships both in the discipline of cross country running at Nottingham and indoor athletics at Sheffield.
National Cross Country Championships
The weekend started off with a bang with the Middlesbrough AC (Mandale) under 15 boys taking team gold at Woolaton Park in Nottingham. The team was led by Patrick Haycock in in his best race ever taking a highly creditable 12th place in the individual race. Closely behind the other three members of the team ran well together with Daniel Currie in 27th place, Archie Lowe in 32nd and Daniel Payne in 34th position. The team scored 105 points to beat the highly fancied Aldershot team who scored 187 points.
In the individual races Philippa Stone (Middlesbrough AC Mandale) featured in one of the closest medal races of the championships. Competing in the under 20 women’s age group race Philippa was in the leading group for much of the race and in the final 200 metres found herself in a tussle with Surrey champion Niamh Brown of Aldershot, Farnham and District AC prevailing to win a magnificent bronze medal by just one second.
In the under 17 men’s race Josh Cowperthwaite was again in great form at national level in the under 17 men’s race. Although this time Josh missed out on a medal Josh ran a very strong race to finish in fourth place overall. All of the cross country runners will now be setting their sights on representing their counties at the English Schools Championships in two weeks’ time.
National Indoor Championships
The English Institute of Sport In Sheffield was the venue for the England Athletics under 20, Under 17 and Under 15 Championships with athletes representing Middlesbrough AC (Mandale) and New Marske Harriers competing at the highest level.
Steven Wheater (Middlesbrough AC) Mandale turned in the best performance of the weekend in the under 17 men’s high jump. The reigning North East and Northern champion Steven equalled his personal best of 1.95 metres before going on to set a new personal best of 1.98 metres and claiming Teesside’s only medal of the championships.
In the under 17 women’s 60 metre hurdles the area had two representatives Amy Carter (New Marske Harriers and Jasmine Clarke (Middlesbrough AC Mandale). Both girls negotiated their first round competition with ease Amy running 8.88 seconds and Jasmine a new club record of 8.80 seconds. The semi-final saw Amy run a lifetime best and new Marske Club record of 8.79 seconds with Jasmine narrowly missing out on a place in the final by 0.05 of a seconds. Amy then placed 5th in her first national final with a time of 8.84 seconds.
Afoma Ofor (Middlesbrough AC) competed in her first national championships going out of the competition at the semi-final stage in the under 15 girls 60 metres after recording her second fastest time of 8.13 seconds in the heats. Josh Allen (Middlesbrough AC) 11th in under 20 men’s 1500 metres.