Stockport Harriers' team had a successful weekend at the Greater Manchester Track and Field Championships.
Georgina Wilkins took her first championships in her stride comfortably negotiating the barriers in the girls' under-15 75 metres hurdles to win in 13.2 seconds.
The squad's middle distance runners were in good form winning five events Claire McMurdock ran a fast 800 metres to win the under 20 women's race in 2 minutes 13 seconds, Lucy McLoughlin took her fourth title in the girls' under-15 800 metres winning in 2.24, with Harrier Michelle Wiblin in 3rd in 2.34.
In the 1,500 metres races England cross country ace Jessica Coulson recorded a new personal best of 4.38 to win by over six seconds from fellow England cross country runner Laura Evans of Bury in the girls' under-17 final. Bryoney Pearce won silver in her best time of 4.58 in the girls' under-13 1,500 final. Ross Millington made sure of the under-17 boys' title kicking with a last lap of 62 seconds to win in 4.11.
In the boys' under-11 600 metre race Richard Hindley won convincingly in 1.49, also Hannah Coulson was third in the girls' under-11 600 metres.
Scott Caine takes the 400 metre bronze in 49 seconds
Sprinter Kelly Blackman finished third in the under-15 girls' 200 metres in 27.0 and Danny Johnson had a good day finishing 2nd in the boys under-13 100 metres in 13.9 and third in the 200 metres in 29 seconds.
Chris Hesketh came close in the boys' high jump with a new personal best. of 1.7 metres to finish 2nd behind Joe Lancaster of Sale in 1.75 metres.
Senior 400 metre man Scott Caine ran a seasons best of 49 seconds for third place.
Bronze in the Masters Relays
The over 50's event gets underway
Stockport Harriers over-50's relay team managed to claim a bronze medal with an excellent third place in the British Masters Athletic Federation Road Relay Championships at Sutton Park, Birmingham.
Thanks to a second place on the first leg by Len Best, the team of Alan Pover, Frank Riley, Hoss Yousefian, John Wharf and Ben Gregory, were alway in the hunt for a medal. They narrowly missed out on a higher position, finishing only 8 seconds behind silver medallists Invicta and the gold going to Oxford, who were over 2 minutes clear.
Great Manchester Run
On Saturday the Great Manchester Junior Run took place around the Manchester City FC Stadium for local young athlete boys and girls of all age groups.
In the Mini Run for under eight year olds, run over a mile, Stockport Harriers had a great number of young athletes taking part in a field of over a hundred, Dan Lawton (pictured right) came out the winner with a time of 6 minutes 20 seconds, taking to the front in the last 400 metres of the race.
In the Junior Girls' race last years winner Leah Kay again lead all the way around the two mile run to finish well clear and was backed up by a number of team mates filling the top ten places.
In Junior Boys' race the Harriers just missed out taking a top place finish, but again they was a good number of athletes finishing in the top half of the field.
In main race the following day, Stockport were well represented in the Woman's elite race with Jenny Murray, Jenny Knass, Vicky Barrett, Michela Stepto, Jackie Newton and Nicola Pickford.
First home for Stockport in the Men's race was Bill Shone in 76th with 36:48 from a field of around 20,000.
Great medal haul at the Northern Junior Championships
Jess Coulson's front running tactics paid off in the 1,500 metre final
Stockport Harriers' junior middle distance stars struck double gold on the first day of the Northern Track and Field Championships at the Dorothy Hyman stadium in Yorkshire.
Jessica Coulson got the Harriers' squad of to a flying start with a grueling front running display as she ground out the laps into a biting wind to win in a new personal best time of 4 minutes 38.34 seconds to win convincingly by over 4 seconds in the girls' under-17s 1,500 metre race.
Next up was AAA's silver 1,500 metre medallist Lucy McLoughlin who breezed through her earlier heat in 5 minutes dead. In the final Lucy waited for the bell before she decided to quicken the pace and finished the race with a 34 second 200 metres into the stiff wind to win by 3 seconds in a seasons best of 4.46.
In the sprints Ellie McLoughlin finished a creditable 6th in the women's under-17s 300 metre final and Leah Kay a very good performance in the girl's 3,000 metre final to finish 6th.
Ross Millington is just edged out in the 1,500 metre final
The most exciting race of the weekend came in the men's under-17s 1,500 metre race, Ross Millington and England cross country runner David Forrester went head to head in the final.
Going through laps of 64 seconds the race was only won in the last few frantic strides for the line as Forrester just edged out Ross in the final dip, both smashing their personal bests, Ross by 7 seconds in 4.01.
Another Harrier finalist was Ben Styles in the men's under-20s 800 metre final, but he had some stiff opposition in his first year in the under-20s age group. The race was won by World Youth Finalist Michael Rimmer in 1.51 with Ben finishing a brave 8th.
Steve Barber took on the pace on against England cross country runner Matt Jackson in the boy's under-15s 3,000 metres final to finish 5th in a new personal best time of 9 minutes and 55 seconds.
Andy Nixon was another medallist for the club in his debut at 5,000 metres, finishing third to win the bronze in a personal best time of 15 minutes and 54 seconds.
Buxton Half Marathon
Stockport's top fell runner Ged Cudahay claimed a second place in the testing Buxton Half Marathon in a time of 1.18.39, just over 2 minutes behind winner Steve Watson of Buxton AC.