At the North of England Athletic Association Track & Field championships at Gateshead on Saturday, the young athletes of Darlington Harriers came away with a hat full of medals and personal best performances.

After being nominated Athlete of the Match at the recent Young Athletes League meeting at Darlington recently, Daniel Ghundoo followed it up with a PB and silver medal in the U17 men 100m hurdles in 14.33 secs and then in the triple jump he won another silver medal with a leap of 11.56 metres.

After an overnight rest Daniel came out for the 1500 metre steeplechase and set another PB of 5.04.10secs.

Neil Best who is also an U17 man won a silver in the shot putt with 10.01 metres and then the 100 metre final in 11.64 secs.

Robert Gibbon also had a busy weekend in his first season as an U20 man and started with a bronze medal in the triple jump after a mix up with the event timing kept him waiting on the run up and his ham string tightened. Fortunately there was a masseur on site who sorted out the problem enebling him to run a PB in the 200 metre final of 25.77 secs.

Michael Parry was devastated to get spiked in the first few yards of his U13 boys 1500 metre final causing him to pull up, but he came back in the 800 metres to win a hard fought bronze medal.

Paul Clifford was one of the busiest athletes, having pulled up in the U13 boys 1500 metres, he ran 16 secs dead in the 100 metres.

On Sunday he ran 2.36.4 secs in the 80 metres and 31.32 secs in the 200 metre final. His sister Emma was also very busy running in the U15 girls 800 metres in 2.40.10 secs, then the final of the 75 metre hurdles in 13.9 secs and then on to the high jump where she cleared 1.3 metres.

Tara and Leah Kennedy kept up the Harriers momentum and had some good results. Leah jumped 3.58 metres in the U13 girls long jumpand ran 34.4 in the 200 metres then on Sunday she got a bronze medal in the shot putt and ran 15.98 in the 100 metres. Her sister Tara ran 28.84 secs in the U15 girls 200 metres and jumped 1.4 metres in the high jump then in the final of the 200 metres managed 26.69 secs.

Rebecca Noble in her first season of competition ran 2.48.53 in the U13 girls 800 metres final, 33 secs in the 200 metres, 5.47.61 secs in the 1500 metres and 16.33 secs in the 100 metres.

Verity Pratt also in her first season ran 13.73 secs in the U15 girls 100 metres and set a PB in the shot with 6.66 metres.

The previous weekend was the first Young Athletes League meeting and after a very hard competition Darlington Harriers were placed second behind Birtley and just four points in front of Shildon after all the points had been totted up. The next event is at Chester-le-Street on June 27 when they should have a full contingent of athletes to help the team.

* Darlington Harriers train at Eastbourne Stadium from 6.15pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and athletes of all ages and abilities are welcome. Ring 01325 252834 for details.