Athletics News

THE third fixture of the NYSD cross county league took place on a fine day, heavy but flat course at Thirsk. Penny Wilson started the flag flying for Harriers by again finishing second in the Under-13 girls. Geoffrey O'Grady was 19th and Graeme McPherson 22nd in the Under-13 boys. The Under-15 girls finished fourth in the team race with Tilly Dunne eighth, Laura McPherson 15th, Claire Adams 22nd and Rebecca Livingston 24th. The Under-15 boys finished fifth in the team race with Richard Johnson 19th, James Fahey 21st, Andrew McCaig 22nd and Graham Flett 28th. Harriers sole competitor in the Under-17 boys was Richard Flett who finished 17th.

In the Under-17/Under-20, senior/vet women's race, Harriers took third team with Johanna Jackson seventh and second Under-17, Helen Humphrey 12th and third vet; Abi Silcock 35th, Joanne Hutton 36th, Lisal Nielsen 48th, Isabel Conaghan 62nd.

In the senor men's race the team were a disappointingly third, two of their top runners missing. However, Stuart Dickinson, just back to racing a few weeks ago after a two-year absence had a brilliant race to finish fourth with Shaun O'Grady sixth, Tony Livingston eighth and first vet 40. Next was Paul Welham 29th, Andrew Sugden 51st, Iain Povey 101st; Geoff O'Grady 123rd. John Kettle 138th, Andy McLeod 14th, John R Smith 148th, Bernard Faulkes 152nd, Phil Cole 157th, Jim Conaghan 160th and second Over-60, Tony Slater 167th, Colin Scollay 170th.

l The next fixture is at Acklam Grange School on January 14.

Durham City Harriers

Steve Everett of Durham City Harriers had a fine cross country run in the North-Eastern Sherman Cup at Farringdon, Sunderland. He finished 13th in a time of 34.04 for the six-mile course with veterans Stephen Marshall, 40th in 36.44 and Alan Rowell 70th in 40.32 also having good runs, the Harriers finished eighth team.

Other Harriers to complete the course were: David Smith 100th in 43.51; Alistair Davison 110th in 45.38, Joe Harker 117th in 47.34; Glenn Malvern 120th in 48.12; Brian Brown 124th, 49.38 and John Davison 128th in 55.02.

Davison incidentally is still recovering from his recent two marathons when he ran the tough Snowdonia event in 4hr 27min and the following week competed in the New York marathon and recorded a time of 4hr 29mins with teammate David Unsworth recoring 3hr 36mins.

Elvet Striders

A large group of Elvet Striders from Durham heading north for the 49th Brampton to Carlisle 10 mile road race which attracted over 500 entries from clubs around the area.

The windy conditions did not dampen the Striders' enthusiasm for the race, notably Mike Hall (V70) who is the club's most senior male member and he put in a fine run to finish second in his category with a time of 1:18:16.

First lady for the club was Roz Layton and sixth in her category with a time of 1:12:35. The other ladies were Linda Mcdermott (1:26:20), Jean Bradley (1:28:27), Jill Hall (1:28:57), Jackie Smith (1:30:37) Pam Kirkup (1:31:54), Margaret Thompson (1:37:24). The ladies were fourth in the team results.

Other Striders: Paul Dunn (1:04:01), Bary Bird (1:07:48), Alan Smith (1:11:28), Bary Evans (1:12:16), Allan Seheult (1:16:56), Allan Purvis (1:18:47), John Shipman (1:18:54), Peter McDermott.

Paul Dunn ran the 23 mile Wensleydale Wedge an annual fell race in Yorkshire organised by the long distance walkers association. The event started and finished at Askrigg, with various manned checkpoints to be visited on route, which included Aysgarth Falls and Castle Bolton. Despite having run a 10 mile road race the previous day Dunn came back in an excellent second place in a time of 3:24 which was his best position so far on this event.

Striders also ran in the Durham Pine Harrier League, the second fixture

of the cross-country season which was held at Consett.

Ladies times after two laps: J Young 21:28, R Adams 22:11, Y Jones 4:24, S Davies 24:26.

Mens times after four laps: M Bennett 36:17, A Parnaby 36:31, P Loftus 37:59, C White 38:23, A Pollard 38:54, P Layton (fast-pack 39:12), A Adams 39:23, P Fahey 41:26, D Shipman 41:54, J Shipman 45:20.

Elswick Harriers

Ieuan Ellis continued his fine form by taking the Hamsterley Forest 10k race last Sunday in 32.49. The previous week Ellis took the suilver medal for his native Wales in the international vets cross country in Navro, Ireland, in the M40 10k event. In a time of 33.38 Jacqui Elliott took fourth place n the aldies race at Hamsterley in 41.24.

In the Durham Pine Harrier League Sherman Cup, Harriers failed to field Under-13 or Under-17 teams so did not figure in the overall cup results.

Elswick senior men gained sixth spot with John Bell 30th, Martin Connolly 32nd and Charlie Townsend 41st.

Other placings: Jim Bell 48, Nigel Barnes 49, Tony Hall 55, Mick Donnelly 56, Norman Armstrong 61, Neil Irvine 64, Tony Hanson 76.

Jonathan Pearson took bronze in the Under-13 boys in 12.01 with Lewis Nixon eighth.

In the Under-15 boys race, Elswick finished fourth team overall, with Ray Hawthorn ninth, Andrew Greenwell 17th and Stephen Hoggins 18th. Paul Todd was the lone representative in the Under-17 men's race finishing in a time of 25.40.

Entries will be taken on the day for the Norman Woodcock Memorial road race, Gosforth Park, Newcastle, 2pm start, Saturday, December 2, distance six miles.

Harrogate's Academy has taken second place in the Brown and Shipley North East Premier Tennis League's southern divisioin following their smart 3-1 away victory over Queen's, Halifax.

But Ripon, who are playing in the northern division, have yet to register their first victory and are at the bottom without a point.

Ripon went down to Middlesbrough Tennis World 4-0 and lost by the same scoreline to David Lloyd Stockton in their latest matches.

Scores: Queen's 1 Harrogate Academy 3 (Queen's names first) Mike Tolman and Simon Taylor lost to David Drake and Doug Keen 5-7, 3-6; Tolman and Taylor lost to Richard Whiteley and Dave Brown 5-7, 1-6. Ben Gudzelak and Andrew Fletcher lost to Drake and Keen 4-6, 3-6; Gudzelak and Fletcher beat Whiteley and Brown 6-2, 6-1.

Middlesbrough Tennis World 4 Ripon 0 (Middlesbrough names first) Nigel Beavers and John Hudson beat Rob Horner and Mike Dixon 6-1, 6-2; Beavers and Hudson beat Graeme Taylor and Keith Philpott 6-1, 6-3. Nigel Garton and Mark Franklin beat Horner and Dixon 6-1, 6-2. Garton and Franklin beat Taylor and Philpott 6-2, 6-1.

l Unbeaten Sheffield currently head the southern division by two points over Harrogate Academy while Middlesbrough Tennis World head the northern division.

Although level on points with Newcastle the Teesside team has a better rubber average.

Brown and Shipley North East Premier League:

South Leeds/York 1 Carnegie Regional Centre, Leeds 3; Middlesbrough Tennis World 4 Ripon 0; Newcastle 3 Durham University 1; Sunderland Invicta 2 Westoe 2 (Invicta won on games); Tennis World 3, Sunderland Invicta 1; Sheffield 3, Queen's, Halifax 1; David Lloyd Stockton 4, Ripon 0; Newcastle 4 Westoe 0.