News

Report on NYSD Cross Country Richmond 13th January 2002

plus other results

After a Club record seven medal haul from the Yorkshire X-C Championships it was back to the NYSD X-C League last weekend with the third fixture at Richmond. The runners were pleased to see a fine day on Sunday last as the course around Richmond School playing fields, Whitefields Farm field and Scots Dyke has a muddy reputation.

Football and injuries took their toll on the under 13 boy’s team and Nick Outhwaite was the only Richmond & Zetland Harrier to compete in the opening race over 2.65K/1¾ miles. He ran his usual steady race and finished in 16^th place.

The under 13 girls had six Harriers toe the line and Jessie Roberts continued her success in the League with a runaway win, 25 seconds clear of the second-placed girl. She was well supported by Jo Adams 6^th, Jessica Gray 9^th, Katie Roberts 11^th, Sophie Broadway 21^st and an under-the-weather Ashleigh Robinson in 31^st to bring the team home first.

Nick Zissler was away training with the Yorkshire Elite Squad so Tom Gill took the opportunity to shine in the under 15 boy’s race with a best-ever, 5^th place finish over the 3.59K/2¼ mile large loop. He was chased all the way by a determined Philip Fitzpatrick who finished 9 seconds and 3 places behind and by Carl Outhwaite who equalled his younger brother’s 16^th place. Despite the penalty of last place plus one for being one short, the team were 3^rd on the day and are still in the hunt.

The under 15 girls also finished in third place. They had the best Club turn-out of the day - the 8 red and white vests were prominent with Georgina Zissler home first in 8^th place. Behind her were Amy Baines 13^th, Becky Robinson 15^th, Leah Jackson 17^th, Jennifer Bainbridge, Becka Ayre and Lianne Broadfoot were 24^th, 25^th and 26^th respectively and Sadie Potter finished with a smile in 32^nd place.

James Raper missed the Yorkshires through work commitments but showed his form with a 7^th place finish in the under 17s boy’s race over two large loops - 6.15K/3¾ miles. He was joined by James Lawell who completed the course despite a foot injury in 15^th position.

The NYSD Women’s race combines under 17s with Juniors, Senior and Vets and Louise Jackson followed-up her previous week’s team bronze with an individual 3^rd and first Junior place. Just two places and 19 seconds behind her, Rachel Robinson showed her continuing return to form ahead of Judith and Orla Fowden, making their competitive debuts, in 44^th and 45^th places. Their combined places gave the Club 5^th place.

The Men’s race was seventh and last, 8.71K/5¼ miles, three large loops. Ken Harker showed he was up for it when a group of 5 pulled away from the pack on the opening loop. He ran well to finish 4^th behind Junior international Steven Hepples of Loftus, Paul Lowe of Mandale and Chris Sampson running as a guest. Jon Orange of Gilling West also guested as he is between Clubs and finished an excellent 9^th. Behind him, Junior Men Scott Wardman and Dan Brooks, had a race-long battle for honours and Scott forged ahead on the last loop when Dan fell under pressure, to finish in 17^th and 19^th places. Shaun Purkiss was fourth counter for the team in 34^th place, Chris Peacock was 48^th and ITC Corporal Kevin Gordon was 65^th, another Harrier making the team on his debut. Tony Colmer kept the team honest, finishing 6 places later; Ian Hepworth got the better of Colin Sewell by 4 places on the last loop to finish 111^th and Martin Carter was always in the race and finished in 135^th place. The team were 5^th but only 9 points behind third-place Hartlepool.

Same day, there were two more impressive performances in other competitions. Matt Prosser ran 7.70 seconds for 60m indoors to finish 2^nd in his race with a qualifying time for the AAA Indoor T&F Championships and Grete Buck finished 1^st LVO55 in 1.59.56 in the Morpeth to Newcastle Half Marathon.

The Club is now into a busy spell with the Yorkshire Schools X-C Championships at Skipton and the Eston Nab Kneenocker Fell Race this weekend before the Northern Counties X-C Championships at Derby on Saturday 26^th - book your place on the coach now!

Two Tuesday’s ago, Chris White of Northern Runner put-on the Lamplight 5 for 2002 around the traditional course at Newton Aycliffe. A cold and breezy night may have deterred some but there was a disappointing turnout considering the keen competition, good times from an accurate course and prizes galore. In addition to the plethora of "running things", Chris is offering 5 new tyres as a spot prize, courtesy of K J Tyres of Sunderland, to one lucky runner. Martin Scaife of Chester-le-Street provided a touch of class at the sharp end of the race, never headed, he won in 24.55. Jon Orange ran most of the race in no-man’s-land, finishing 2^nd in 26.39 ahead of leading Vet, Ian Bloomfield, 3^rd in 27.12. A little further down the field, 19 year old Leeds Metropolitan University student Louise Jackson had one of the best days of her athletics life with her first road race win. Showing no sign of tiredness from her 8^th place at the Northern X-C Championships the previous Saturday, she powered away from Alison Raw and Carolyn Summersgill, both of whom had beaten her recently in Fell and X-C races, to finish 10^th overall in a personal best time of 30.17 and won a toaster. Two places behind, in 12^th place, Mike Brooks was 2^nd MVO50 in 31.31 and won a T-Shirt; team-mate Rachel Robinson was another 2 places down, 4^th lady, 14^th overall in 32.03 and won a quality book. Carl and Nick Outhwaite both ran in the Junior 2¼ mile race, Carl finishing 1^st in 14.15 and Nick in19.24. The next Lamplight 5 is on Tuesday 26^th February, £4 on the night, registration at the Oak Leaf Sports Centre at 7pm.

Last Saturday was the BUSA X-C Championships at Queens University, Belfast and Dan Brooks competed in the Sheffield Hallam University A Team. A muddy 10K course was what an 800m/1500m runner wanted but he toughed it out to finish 5^th counter in 104^th place from 181 finishers.

There were several Schools Inter-Counties fixtures on the same day. North Yorkshire competed at Beverley against Humberside with individuals earning their County colours and looking for final places in next month’s Championships in Essex. Andy Lagan booked his place finishing 2^nd in the Junior Boys Race ahead of Tom Gill and Simon Pinkney who were 3^rd and 4^th and have given the selectors a headache. Jessie Roberts also finished 2^nd in the Junior Girls Race and Ashleigh Robinson’s 12^th place was just enough to earn selection. Behind her, Leah Jackson was 21^st and earned her colours, along with Shane Murphy and James Raper, 14^th and 15^th in the Inter Boys Race, and Geoff Pinkney, 12^th in the Senior Boys Race. There were 3 Harriers running in the Year 7 Girls Race; Jo Adams finished 5^th, just ahead of Jessica Roberts in 6^th with twin sister Scarlett (still recovering from a virus and a fortnight’s missed training) in 9^th. Josh Miers ran in the Year 7 Boys Race and finished 13^th.

The Club will now have at least 8 competitors in the English Schools X-C Championships – Jessie Roberts, Ashleigh Robinson, Andy Lagan, Phil Fitzpatrick, either Tom Gill or Simon Pinkney and Scott Wardman representing Yorkshire plus Nick and Georgina Zissler representing County Durham.

Sunday’s Dewsbury 10K was a windy race won by Daniel Sipe of Tanzania in 29.41, ahead of Morpeth Harriers Ian and Mark Hudspith, 2^nd and 3^rd, both with 29.42. Jon Orange of Gilling West was 45^th in 33.50 ahead of a jet-lagged Karl Povey, 56^th in 34.35 and Shaun Purkiss, 73^rd in 35.10.

Shaun still had the energy to turn-up at Richmond Cricket Club on Sunday evening for the RZH Quiz and help raise £100 to contribute to the training, coaching and competition for the Juniors. Martin Carter and team from Catterick Village were Quiz winners.