Double haul for region in Midlands
Mar 15 2010 by Les Venmore
THE North East gained two sets of Team medals at Saturday’s McCain Challenge Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Cofton Park, Birmingham.
They took the gold medals in the senior women’s race, led home by Sale’s Sonia Samuels in seventh place. She was ably supported by Durham’s Rosie Smith (18th), Chester-le-Street’s Melissa Turner (25th), Georgina Rutherford of Darlington (33rd), Tracey Laws of Chester-le-Street (35th) and Jane Mooney of Morpeth (36th). For good measure, all of the region’s counters gained top-50 placings.
The Under-13 girls team took silver behind Essex in their event. They were led home by Birtley’s Lydia Turner (13th), who was ably supported by Emma Wortley of Middlesbrough (19th), Robyn Waugh of Gateshead (28th) and Hannah Kitchener of New Marske (41st).
The region’s main title contender, Kate Avery, struggled home in seventh place in the Under-20 event.
In what was a World Championship trial race, Avery tried to match the early pace of Surrey’s Emelia Gorecka, but was dropped by her rival at the halfway point, struggling in the later stages on the demanding course.
Freya Murray, who runs for Chester-le-Street but represents Scotland East, was a surprise winner of the senior women’s race, dropping race favourite Steph Twell, of Hampshire, in the final 1km. Murray will now represent Great Britain in the World Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland in two weeks’ time.
Mo Farah outclassed the opposition to win the senior men’s event. He dropped his main rivals after the first 2km, coming home 45 seconds ahead of national champion Steve Vernon of Hampshire.
Middlesex’s Richard Goodman, the national Under-17 champion, won the other trial race for junior men.
Middlesbrough’s Ben Spencer was the region’s top performer in the younger age-groups, finishing sixth in the Under-13 boys’ race.
A similar position was occupied by Fergus Roberts, of Richmond & Zetlland, representing Yorkshire in the Under-15 boys’ event.
Veteran Gary Dunn, of Thirsk and Sowerby, was an easy winner of the senior men’s event at yesterday’s final North Yorkshire and South Durham League fixture at a drafty Richmond Racecourse.
Carolyn Summersgill, of Middlesbrough & Cleveland, who narrowly missed out on counting for the successful North East team at Birmingham 24 hours earlier, was never troubled in winning the senior women’s race.
Jarrow’s Emma Johnson smashed the championship record by 273 points to win the under-13 title at yesterday’s North Eastern Counties Championship and Open Pentathlon at Gateshead.
Gateshead’s Asleigh Wood retained her under-20 title.
