Porter faces her biggest test yet
CHARMAINE Porter, from Jarrow and Hebburn AC, goes for the under-15 girls' title in the English National Cross Country Championships at Leeds tomorrow.
The brilliant 14-year-old has been in top form recently with important victories in the North Eastern, Durham Schools and Schools Inter-Counties championships over the country, but faces her biggest test to date.
She faces the champions of the North, Midlands and South over the 4km Roundhay Park course.
South Shields Harriers send a team for the senior men's 12km event where more than 3,000 runners from most of the hundreds of clubs in the country will be competing.
Chris Muir is gradually returning to form and leads the challenge with Luke Adams, Mike Jones, Paul Doxford, Chris McDonald and Keith Mackey in support.
David Wakefield is in the under-15 boys' 4km, and Harry Harland contests the under-17 boys' 6km.
Claire Simpson, Kathryn Foley and Angela Hunter, from South Tyneside, are included in a strong squad from Chester-le-Street AC going for medals in the senior women's 8km race.
With more than 10,000 athletes in the nine age groups, the under-13 girls' 3km opens the programme at 11am.
Phil Slater, off the front mark of 10 minutes, was a runaway winner of South Shields Harriers' fourth yacht handicap of the six-race monthly series.
Slater finished almost two minutes ahead of Matthew Fearn. Liam Johnston, off 1:30, improved through the field of 45 into third with the fastest time of 15:15 for the three-mile Bents Park course.
Back marker Graeme Taylor off 1:00 was second quickest in 14th with 15:17.
Charmaine Porter, 16th in 18:18, was the fastest female.Luke Wilson held off Daniel Smith by three seconds to win the junior race of 1.25 miles, with Matthew Wakefield in third.
Thomas Coyne – ninth with 6:26 – recored the fastest time from Charlie Wynn-Davison with 6:56 in 14th. Chantelle Thornton 11th in 8:10 was the fastest girl.
Lucy Turner, from Jarrow and Hebburn AC, travels to Birmingham for the AAA Under-20, 17 and 15 indoor championships this weekend.
Turner, who reached third in the 2009 UK rankings list in the under-13 pole vault goes for this event, but in the under-15 category and also races in the 60m hurdles.
Kerry Maguire, from Shields, competes for Gateshead Harriers in the under-17 girls' pole vault.
Mia Hodgson, of Chester-le-Street AC, also from Shields coach Peter Tate's Mult Events Group at Monkton Stadium, competes in the under-15 girls' pole vault and 60m hurdles.
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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
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
