Sunderland lead from start in Cathedral relays
Jan 19 2009 The Journal
SUNDERLAND Harriers were clear winners of the senior men’s race at yesterday’s Durham Cathedral Relays.
In the cold conditions, Patrick Martin led for the Wearsiders on leg one, coming home nine seconds ahead of Durham’s Dan Garbutt.
North Eastern cross country champion Mark Hood extended the lead to 50 seconds over 2008 winners New Marske.
Gavin Massingham maintained the advantage over New Marske on the final leg while Ricky Stevenson, the region’s Junior cross country champion, made some inroads late on. Morpeth were third.
Sunderland nearly repeated their victory in the veterans’ race but North Shields Poly’s more youthful squad had the edge. Chester-le-Street easily won the women’s race. Kathryn Foley led after the opening leg with Melissa Turner and Alyson Dixon extending the advantage to 53 seconds over Morpeth. Dixon clocked the fastest time. Heaton finished third.
Kate Avery, running for the Darlington Area, won her sixth successive Durham Schools cross country title at Meadowfield on Saturday. The English Schools Junior champion in 2006, won by more than two minutes.
Chris Gaffney, also competing for Darlington, won the senior boys’ race defeating North Eastern under-17 champion Michael Grimes of Durham Central. Cameron Boyek (SW Durham) the 2008 Junior champion, won the intermediate boys’ race and Nicole Burlinson of Darlington came through to win the girls’ event. Zoe Hewitson of Darlington, repeated her 2008 victory in the junior girls’ race while Barry Maskell (West Wearside) won the junior boys.
The best finish of the day came in the minor girls’ race as North Eastern under-13 champion, Anna Fawcett of West Wearside, outsprinted Derwentside’s Lydia Turner.
Wearside’s Luca Irvine easily won the minor boys’ race.
Meanwhile, North East athletes won five golds at this weekend’s Northern Athletics Indoor Championships at Sheffield. On Saturday, Morpeth’s Jon Taylor won the 3,000m by nearly 20secs.
In so doing he took 1.3secs off the previous championship best performance set by international steeplechaser Stuart Stokes.
Gateshead’s Lauren Dewdney won the under-20s 60m hurdles from club-mate Rebecca Liddell, who is still in the under-17s age-group.
Middlesbrough’s Charlie Dryden won the under-20s long jump which was some consolation after being edged out of the medals in the 60m.
Gateshead’s Richard Kilty equalled his personal best time, narrowly losing out on first place in the senior 60m.
Yesterday, Craig Sturrock of Gateshead won the senior shot while Chris Kirk, competing in the Newham & Essex Beagles colours, won the long jump.
LES VENMORE
