YOUNG athletes did the North-East proud, winning three individual gold medals in the North of England Cross Country Championships at Herrington Country Park, Sunderland.

Shildon’s former European Cross Country Championships bronze medallist Kate Avery won the 6.2K junior women’s race by six seconds, Elswick Harrier Philip Hurst took the junior men’s title by 15 seconds, while Gateshead’s Lewis Hogg got home by three seconds in the under-17 race.

North-East 2009 champion and this year’s silver medallist Rosie Smith, of Durham City Harriers, was third in the senior women’s 8.2K race, while Birtley’s Lydia Taylor took the silver medal in the under-15 girls 4.25K event.

There were also bronze medals for Shildon’s Cameron Boyek (under-17 men) and Morpeth Harrier Laura Weightman (junior women).

The handsome regional medal haul was a complete contrast to last year at Blackburn, where only one bronze medal, in the under-13 boys, was brought back to the North-East.

In the 12K senior men’s race, won by Bolton’s Tom Lancashire, from Steve Vernon (Stockport), the 2009 North-East champion, Sunderland Harrier Patrick Martin, returned after injury to finish fifth, with New Marske’s Andrew Wiles in eighth place.

Selected results – Senior Men (12K): 1 T Lancashire (Bolton) 38.09; 2 S Vernon (Stockport) 38.22; 3 A Jones (Salford) 40.05; 5 P Martin (Sunderland) 40.21; 8 A Wiles (New Marske) 40.36; 13 D Garbutt (Durham City) 41.08; 16 P Newton (Morpeth) 41.19; 17 M Nicholson (Morp) 41.24.

Teams: 1 Leeds City 146 pts; 7 Durham City 474; 8 Morpeth 571.

Junior Men (8.2K): 1 P Hurst (Elswick) 26.51; 2 T Bishop (Derby) 27.06; 3 B Connor (Derby) 27.30; 11 J Askew (Aycliffe) 28.31; 14 M Grimes (Dur C) 28.40.

Under-17 Men (6K): 1 L Hogg (Gateshead) 21.10; 2 G Benson (Leeds) 21.13; 3 C Boyek (Shildon) 21.26; 8 F Roberts (Richmond & Zetland) 22.09; 14 M Scott (R&Z) 22.10. Team: Richmond and Zetland 119.

Senior Women (8.2K): 1 S Partridge (Leeds) 30.38; 2 V Wilkinson (Bingley) 30.59; 3 R Smith (Dur C) 31.11; 15 C Summersgill (Middlesbrough & Cleveland); 16 T Millmore (Chester-le-Street) 33.27; 17 J Mooney (Morpeth) 33.30; 18 G Rutherford (Darlington) 33.36. Teams: 1 Bingley 30; 6 Morpeth 190; 7 Durham City 226.

Junior Women (6.2K): 1 K Avery (Shildon) 23.50; 2 J Walsh (Spenborough) 23.56; 3 L Weightman (Morp) 24.31.

Under-15 Girls (4.25K): 1 B Owen (Scarborough) 16.58; 2 L Turner (Birtley) 17.23; 3 N Hackett (Hallamshire) 17.25; 5 C Loredo (Shildon) 17.37; 9 A Fawcett (ClS) 18.07; 10 S Forster (Birtley) 18.11.