Harriers get 2012 off to a great start

Report: Dave Turnbull -

Harriers' internationals Elle Baker, Steve Vernon and Ross Millington got their 2012 season off to a great start at the Great North Cross County international held in Edinburgh.

Elle Baker representing the GB team in a triangular match against the USA and Europe stormed to a third place behind European Cross Country champion Finnuola Britton and Gemma Steele of the GB team.

Elle overtook the USA team captain Neely Spence in the final 200 metres.

Steve Vernon running for the men's GB team in the 8km race finished 7th and quickly changed into his Harriers vest to run in the men's 3km international against Olympic 1,500 metre champion Asbel Kiprop and double Olympic champion Kennenisa Bekele.

Steve was joined by Harriers team mate Ross Millington who led the race with 800 metre to go to finish in 6th place in a mad last sprint for the line with Steve holding off Bekele to finish 9th.

800 metre English Schools bronze medalist Chelsea Jarvis made a bright start to her season racing twice in a week over 1,500 metres at Sheffield.

Chelsea ran a new personel best at the British Milers Club meeting in 4-36 and followed that 6 days later with a dominant front run race to clinch the Northern Under-17 women's 1,500 metre indoor title in 4-39.

Chelsea will have one more outing indoors at the UKA Championships in March before her preparation for the outdoor season begins.

Pat Martin who will be racing for the Harriers team at the Euro Clubs Championships in Valencia in two weeks time sharpened up with a 6th place finish for the North of England team at the UK Cross Challenge held at Cardiff.

Under-20s athletes Jack Morris and Jack Nixon secured their places in the Greater Manchester cross country team with an easy win for Jack Morris at the Greater Manchester County Championships on home soil at Woodbank and Jack Nixon finishing 3rd, also in the Senior Men's race Andy Nixon come home in 2nd.

Michael Sawrey who has been training with the squad since summer recorded a new personel best recently of 30-56 for 10km.

Next up for the Senior Men's team is the Northern Cross Country Championships at Pontefract Park, Wakefield on January 28th, the team will be led out by National Cross Country Champion Steve Vernon.

Elle Baker heads out onto the roads at the Asics Alsager 5 mile on February 5th before she runs at the World Indoor 3km trial a week later.


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