Hexham leads way for multi-events

May 17 2002 By The Evening Chronicle

The North's leading junior multi-eventers head for Hexham tomorrow and Sunday with over 130 entries received for the North East Open Combined Events meeting.

Hexham is rapidly becoming the leading area in the country for multi events and that is reflected in the standard of entry who'll be making their way to the Wentworth Stadium.

The entries include English Schools 400m champion and schools' international pentathlon champion, Craig Glanville of Gateshead who will be competing in the under-17 age group while Birchfield's Edward Dunford takes on last year's Northern champion, David Hughes of Scunthorpe, in the under-20 age group.

In the women's events, Britain's best under-20 decathlete, Teesside's Sophie Dewell will be attempting her first heptathlon.

However, Sophie has an injured wrist and will not be able to pole vault but she will be aiming to set a respectable score as she prepares to better her under-20 decathlon best in Vienna at the end of next month.

In the other age groups, South Shields' Emma Morris, winner of three titles in last weekend's North Eastern Track and Field Championships, starts her first multi-event outdoors this year and will face the challenge of Lucie Shipley from Scunthorpe and District AC.

Action gets underway at 10am on both days with training bursaries being provided to the leading North of England athletes through the support of the Rover Combined Events Initiative.

Entries will be taken on the day at the Waggon Team Inn at the north end of the Team Valley Trading Estate.