Cramp ruins Charm's national medal hopes
CHARMAINE Porter, from Jarrow and Hebburn AC, had her chance of a medal in the English National Cross Country Championships at Leeds on Saturday wrecked by severe stomach cramp.
Porter, in the under-15 girls' 4km race, was in contention during the opening lap, but dropped back through the field of 360 before bravely struggling home in 144th position with a time of 16:42.
Jessica Judd, of Chelmsford, finished champion in 13:48,with Northern champion Katy Wood, of York, only seventh in 14:44.
South Shields Harriers finished a creditable 53rd, and third North Eastern team, from 107 clubs closing in six counters in the senior men's 12km.
Andy Vernon, of Aldershot, powered his way through the muddy three laps to finish nine seconds clear of Moumin Geele of Newham and Essex Beagles in 38:01, leading the Hampshire club to victory from defending champions Leeds City.
Ricky Stevenson, of New Marske, an impressive winner of the Edinburgh International Race in January, was expected to go close but finished a disappointing 22nd in 40:13.
Chris Muir was the first Shields counter, 497th in the field of 2,746 in 48:58, with Mike Jones 528th in 49:21.
Simon-Lee Johnson was 572nd in 49:54 with Paul Bainbridge 597th in 50:16. Keith Mackey finished 636th in 50:49 and Chris McDonald was 647th in 50:56.
Morpeth were the leading area team in 11th from New Marske in 29th. Shields were ahead of Low Fell, Elswick and a depleted Sunderland without their four best distance men, including North Eastern champion Mark Hood.
Kevin Ayres was 675th for Shields in 54:14 with Ben Forster 707th in 54:14. Paul Doxford was 776th in 52:41, with veteran over-65 Frank Strand 2285th in 65:09.
On a disastrous day for the area, only Kate Avery of Shildon won a medal. Avery finished second in the under-20 women's 6km in 22:10, four seconds behind Joanne Harvey of Exeter.
Matthew Fearn, from Jarrow and Hebburn AC, finished 157th with 23:14 in a field of 308 in the under-17 boys 7km.
Harry Harland, from South Shields Harriers, was 297th in 26:46 with Richard Goodman, of Shafesbury Barnet AC, claiming the title in 19:21.
David Wakefield, from the Shields club, finished 253rd with 16:48 from 398 finishers in the under-15 boys 4km, won by St Albans' James McMurray in 14:00.
Former Wallsend Harrier Sonia Samuels was sixth with 28:31 in the senior women's 8km as Stephanie Twell, of Aldershot, collected another title in 27:52.
Birtley's Lydia Turner finished seventh in the under-13 girls' 3km in 12:38 with Bracknell's Hope Goddard the champion in 1:29.
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
