The North of England Track & Field Championships took place at the brand new and impressive Middlesbrough Sports Village Stadium over the weekend.
Saturday was a superb day for Stockport Harriers with every Athlete representing the Club making the final in their events, led by Sophie Decker(Coach: Joe Frost) who won her first major title with a personal best of 10.59m to take Gold in the Under 17 Womens Triple Jump with Amy Jackson (Joe Frost) taking her first individual Area Medal with Bronze in the same event. Natasha Harrison (Pete Torrance) produed another strong performance with 2:16 for silver behind UK leader Tilly Simpson from Hallamshire Harriers in the Under 15 Girls 800m and Emily Jarad(Joe Frost) took Bronze in the Under 15 Girls High Jump, clearing 1.55m, just two centimetres below her lifetime best set earlier this Summer.
Sophie Decker and Amy Jackson finished sixth and seventh in the Under 17's Long Jump to back up their Triple Jump medals whilst Holly Benson (Mike Frost) threw 25.12m in the Under 15 Girls Javelin to make the cut and finish in eighth place in the final. Jack Doodson (David Jackson/Joe Frost) who is still an Under 11 and was competing up an age group jumped a personal best of 4.24m to make the cut and finish in seventh place in the Under 13 Boys Long Jump Final.
Sunday saw an exceptionally strong Under 15 Girls Long Jump Competition that saw the medal places filled with jumps significantly further than that required to medal in the English Schools Championships earlier this Summer. In a competition of over thirty Girls, Katie Waterworth (Joe Frost) rose to the occasion with a fine personal best of 5.23m for fourth place. Emily Jarad (Joe Frost) also made the final, finishing eight with a best jump of 5.01m. Sanna Mclean (Joe Frost) finished 11th with 4.89m, Bethan Murray (Joe Frost) 12th with a best of 4.84m, Kim Pinkowski(Joe Frost) was 19th and just behind her personal best with 4.50m. Laura Hickey (Joe Frost) was 21st with 4.44m and Megan Lasseter (Mike Frost) 25th with 4.30m.
Katie Waterworth followed up a successful Long Jump by running close to her personal best with 13.19 seconds to qualify for the final of the Under 15 Girls 100m, where she finished eighth. Megan Lasseter finished fifth in her heat with a new personal best performance of 13.79 seconds. In the 200m Bethan Murray finished third in the heats with 27.24 seconds and Laura Hickey was fifth in her heat with 27.31. In the Under 15 Girls 75m Hurdles Laura Hickey finished sixth in the final and Holly Benson ran a strong heat to qualify for the final where she finished eighth. Sanna Mclean was unlucky to hit a hurdle hard mid-race in the heats but did well to stay on her feet and finish the race. Holly Benson finished 14th in the Shot with a strong performance of 8.77m. Sophie Decker followed up a super Saturday with a new personal best of 13.30 seconds in the Under 17 Womens 80m Hurdles.
Well Done to all the Athletes and thanks to all the Coaches, Parents and supporters who made the trip up the A1.