NEWLY-CROWNED British Universities discus champion Alan Toward came agonisingly close to a new North-East Championships mark at a sun-baked Gateshead International Stadium when he equalled a record set 46 years previously.

The 21-year-old Gateshead Harrier, who threw a personal-best 53.11m representing Northumbria University in the BUCS Championships at Bedford two weeks earlier, pulled out another lifetime best when he hurled the 2kg discus 54.62m to equal the record set in 1968 by North Shields Polytechnic’s renowned Great Britain international Arthur McKenzie.

Toward’s superb performance crowned a tremendous opening day by the Tyneside club, which underlined its position as North-East Track and Field Club of the Year by dominating the proceedings, winning 14 track and 15 field individual gold medals.

Gateshead provided the winner of the senior men’s 100m in Chris Ferguson (10.92 secs), while clubmate William Curtis set a new championship record of 37.58 secs in the under-15 boys’ 300m – two second quicker than his nearest rival. Gateshead’s hurdlers were also in top form, winning six of the eight events over the barriers.

The coveted senior men’s 1500m title went to Morpeth Harrier’s Great Britain international Lewis Timmins, the former North-East cross country champion, in a winning time of 4 mins 4.06 secs, with Gateshead’s Barry Maskell second in 4:05.27.

Crook’s England under-17 1500m indoor champion and this year’s Virgin London Mini-Marathon winner, Markhim Lonsdale (15)added the under-17 men’s 1500m title to his impressive gold medal collection in a time of 4 mins 7.29 secs.

Another record to go on the opening day was in the under-20 pole vault, where Middlesbrough Mandale’s 16-year-old Scottish under-18 indoor champion Charlie Myers cleared an outdoor personal-best 4.70m.

Morpeth Harrier Nick McCormick (29 mins 21 secs) was sixth in yesterday's big BUPA Great Manchester 10K, won by Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele in 28 mins 23 secs. Wallsend's Ethiopian athlete Yared Hagos was 12th in 30 mins 23 secs.