NORTH-EAST athletes won ten gold medals at the North of England Junior Championships at Cudworth, with Blaydon's Leanne Tucker scoring a magnificent double in the field events, writes Frank Johnson.

The 19-year-old Tynesider, star performer in this month's North-East Championships, winning four gold medals and setting two new records, was again in superb form with two new personal-bests.

Tucker threw 12.28m in the under-20 women's shot to beat Merseyside's Anna Griffin by 41cms, while she had another impressive winning margin in the discus, reaching 42.30m - 1.35m further than Liverpool's Gemma Llewellyn.

North-East under-17 100m champion Yusuf Aliu, of Middlesbrough Mandale, took the sprint crown in 11.29 secs, beating training partner Richard Kilty (Gateshead), who clocked 11.34.

On the opening day Gateshead Harrier Daniel Blackett won the under-17 triple jump with an effort of 13.86m - 61cms better than his winning distance in the North-East Championships - while Blaydon's Kirsty Hutton added the under-17 shot title to her North-East crown, throwing 11.48m, with Birtley's Kathy Wilson in third place (10.59m).

Second day winners were hurdlers Kieron Flannery (Gateshead), who won the under-20 400m event in 54.08 secs, and Chester-le-Street's Lorna McMichael, winner of the under-20 300m crown in 45.20 secs.

Elswick's Ashley Gibson (4:35.22) won the under-20 1500m, while other field event winners were Sally Scott (Gateshead) in the under-17 pole vault, clearing a championship-best 3.20m and clubmate Paul Allen, who won the under-17 long jump with a leap of 6.42m.

In the track events North Shields Polytechnic's Great Britain international Ryan Stephenson (3:59.74) was second in the under-20 1500m behind Warrington's Ben Green (3:54.70), with Middlesbrough Mandale's North-East champion Jon Taylor (4:06.76) seventh. Another Mandale athlete, Andy Lagan (1:58.33) was second in the under-17 800, with Chester-le-Street's Andrew Stanton (1:58.33) taking bronze.

North-East Under-17 200m champion Kilty (23.56) was third behind Kingston-upon-Hull's Philip Norfolk (23.33), while in the under-15 boys' 400m New Marske's Craig Hill (55.96) was also a bronze medallist.

Two Shildon athletes returned with first day silver medals, Amy Fleming in the under-15 high jump with a clearance of 1.55m, and Kate Avery in the under-15 1500m, clocking 4:47.08, while Fleming went on to take the bronze in the shot (10.10m).

Second day silver medals went to Gateshead's Ross Murray in the under-15 1500m (4:26.50), Robert Balmbro (Morpeth) under-17 3000m (9:16.47), Adam Allison (Middlesbrough) under-17 400m, Katy Wilson (Birtley) under-17 hammer (36.07m) and Nicola Pearson (Gateshead) under-15 long jump (5.00m).

Bronze-medal winners included Sophie de la Hunt (Gateshead) in the under-20 long jump (5.41m), Andrew Riley (Blaydon) under-17 discus (37.14m), Tyne Breen (Blaydon) under-15 discus (27.71), Rebecca Pottinger (Birtley) under-17 long jump (1.65m) and Samatha Duffy (Gateshead), under-20 800m (2:15.26).

Chester-le-Street AC's Morag McDonnell won the 5,000m on the first day of the Inter Counties Championships at Bedford.