Cross Country Barnard Castle 15th February 2004

Teesdale AC hosted the fifth NYSD X-C League fixture on Sunday 15th at Teesdale School, Barnard Castle, over a course described as “interesting and challenging”. Last year’s fixture on this course had to be cancelled because the bridge in the bottom of the valley was flooded. This year, despite the threatening clouds, the day stayed fine and even with the previous week’s rains, the stream was a trickle, making it hard to imagine what a state it must have been in last year.

Jessie Roberts

There were twenty-one runners from Richmond and Zetland Harriers across the seven-race fixture but complete teams only in the Under 15 Girls, Ladies and Men’s races. Despite the fine weather, the nearness of the venue and the exhortations of the Team Manager(s), the Club is unlikely to regain the President’s Shield unless there is a full turn out in the last fixture, at Richmond, next month!

RZH results: Under 13 Boys - 3rd Douglas Roberts & 10th Rory Wadsworth; Under 13 Girls - 5th Rosie Adams & 24th Francesca Fowden; Under 15 Boys - 12th Chris Andrade; Under 15 Girls - 1st Jessie Roberts, 3rd Scarlett Gray, 15th Jessica Gray & 17th Katie Roberts - team 1st; Under 17 Boys - 5th Simon Robson & 6th Chris Archer; Ladies - 11th Fiona Hughes, 22nd (& 4th LV1) Joanna Gray, 31st Sarah Gregory & 50th Jenny Fenwick - team 5th; Men - 27th (& 2nd U20) Edd Richards, 44th Taff Rogers, 47th (& 2nd MV2) Mike Brooks, 52nd Shane Gray, 64th (& 4th MV2) Jim Robinson & 93rd Colin Sewell - team 8th.

There was controversy at the finish of the Men’s race as two runners were given 40-second time penalties for indiscipline in the finishing funnel. These penalties were yellow cards and a reminder to all runners that their race is finished only when their time and position is recorded - not when they collapse “prima-donna-style” over the finish line. The Timekeepers, Judges and Recorders have to list the runners times and positions in finishing order and without everyone playing their part, the results would be incorrect and awards may be misplaced - although what Alf Tupper might’ve thought of some performances is anybody’s guess.

There are team and individual trophies and awards to be won in the X-C League and the Harriers are in contention on several fronts. The results from all six fixtures count for team trophies but individuals take their best five scores from six, there are champions in each age group and all runners with 20 or more points earn a medal. At present there are five Harriers in 2nd place; Douglas and Jessie Roberts and Jon Orange all need to win at Richmond to finish tops; Louise Jackson is 6 points adrift and needs a little help from somewhere other than Darlington; Mike Brooks is 13 points behind Dave “five-wins-out-of-five” Knee and just 2 ahead of the next man so has another race on his hands to finish runner-up. The Under 15 Girls team are undefeated in the League and have the maximum 5 x 8 = 40 points, the Ladies are presently 2nd to Loftus by just 2 points and the men are 5th out of 15 teams.