English Schools' Association National Championships: While many will be disappointed 70 young athletes from Durham and Northumberland will have received notification, of their selection, to represent their County at the English Schools' Athletics Association National Championships.

It is the dream of many young athletes to compete at the largest schools athletics event in the world, and this year those who do so will be performing in front of their home crowd at Gateshead International Stadium. The final trials took place in the inter-counties match at then Clareville Stadium in Middlesbrough on Saturday. Although Durham won the match it was individual performances that counted as stars of the future fought in difficult conditions to achieve the tough National Entry Standards in their events. Ten Durham athletes achieved this feat with 14 year old Phil Collins again producing their top performance of the day with 1.81m in the high jump. However it was Northumberland's Jenny Graham who stole the show with a sprint double and entry standards in both the 100m and 200m.

Athletes now have just over two weeks to prepare for the Championships which take place on July 9 and 10. Tickets for the event are now on sale through the Gateshead International Stadium ticket line 01914785555.

County Durham Schools U15 multi-event Championships 2004

Carmel College athletes produced some excellent all round performances in the County Multi-event championships. The competition involves the hurdles, shot putt, long jump, high jump and finishes with a grueling 800m. Carmel won both the girls and boys team competition. Frances Nicholson was runner up in the girls event and Joseph Clamp won bronze in the boys. These two athletes have been selected for the County team along with Jade Levy and Joshua Hardy who both finished fourth. Such is the strength of the college athletes they also have the first reserves in Tara Kennedy and Phillip Collins who came fifth.

The selected athletes will be representing Durham in the North of England championships to be held in Leeds later this month.

Newton Aycliffe

Two personal bests from Lewis Moses were produced and club record times in the space of seven day at the Trafford Grand Prix British Milers Club 1500m race. In wind and rain Lewis knocked four seconds of his best time finnishing in fifth place in 4mins 2secs. This after knocking 20 seconds of his 3000m time at the harrier league meeting at Jarrow six days earlier finishing third with a new club record time of 8mins 55secs. Adam Harker also made the trip to Manchester for the Trafford Grand Prix meeting finnishing second in the open 800m race with a personal best time of 2mins 5secs. At the Inter Counties schools Championships at Clairville Middlesbourgh Amy Fleming finnished second in the junior girls high jump with a jump of 1m 50cm. Abby Wilson finnished 3rd in the intermediate girls 800m with a new club record and of 2mins 26 secs.

Spraire Lads

A couple of weeks ago the some of the under ten competed in the clubs for young people athletics championships held at Gateshead Stadium. First up was Kerry Hedley in the 800 metres who dominated the field to get first place next was the flying Wilson Kneeshaw who left the field for dead in the 100 and 200 metres. James Bennett then won the Long Jump and two second places for Ben Tervit in the shot putt and twin brother Zac Tervit in the high jump meant that a win in the 100 metre relay would mean Spraire would win their age group the result was never in doubt with Wilson coming down the home straight leaving the rest behind.

Winning this meant that for lads were picked to represent Durham in the national championships in Newport in Wales. Competing against Berkshire, Essex, London, Middlesex, Northumberlandand and Wales competition was hard but Kerry Hedley got off to a flyer with a battling silver medal in the 800metres. Wilson Kneeshaw then flew to takethe gold by ten yards in the 200 James Bennett then followed up with a bronze in the Long Jump. The 100 metres was a close run race with Wilson Kneeshaw just getting pipped on the line but still claimed the silver medal the final event the relay the lads got a bronze medal to finish the day third overall in there age group an excellant achievement for the club.

Quakers RC

OMay 25 the second of the White Horse Handicaps. Sharron Towns was first home on the night with an excellent time of 49:40, followed by Nathan Ghundon, U/A, 00:51:55, Barrie Emmerson, Billingham, 00:52:24, Craig Dunnill, U/A, 00:52:29, Darren Madison, U/A, 00:53:14,.

The rest: Leslie Gordon, Billingham, 00:53:18, Colin Bearpark, Quakers, 00:54:49, Stuart Hardcastle, U/A, 00:54:54, Jackie Henderson, Quakers, 00:54:59, Laura Towns, Quakers, 00:55:01, Luke Cherrington, U/A, 00:55:40, Rob McSherry, Quakers, 00:56:00, Keith Shevels, Quakers, 00:56:13, Nick Orton, U/A, 00:56:14, Jeff Marriott, Quakers, 00:56:58, Michael Dodd, U/A, 00:57:07, Jeff Walker, U/A, 00:57:16, Anthony Corbett, Quakers, 00:57:20, Andy Downer, Quakers, 00:57:26, Tommy Hurworth, Quakers, 00:57:32, John Edmondson, Quakers, 00:57:41,Stephen Minns, Shildon, 00:57:46, John Burnside, Aycliffe, 00:57:48, Brent Morfoot, Aycliffe, 00:57:49, Richard Payne, Quakers, 00:58:03, Danny Gordon, Quakers, 00:58:05, Allen Purdham, Crook, 00:58:15, Marcia Downer, Quakers, 00:58:18, Tim Makin, Quakers, 00:58:27, Glynn Frith, Evenwood, 00:58:32, Bev Snook, Quakers, 00:58:36, Peter Dawson, Billingham, 00:58:40, Richard Hughes, Quakers, 00:58:46, Robert Thomas, Quakers, 00:58:57, Alastair Mackenzie, Quakers, 00:58:59, Colin Gibson, Aycliffe, 00:59:08, Steve Snook, Quakers, 00:59:19, Samantha Kee, Quakers, 00:59:23, Terry Deary, Quakers, 00:59:32, Dave McDonald, Aycliffe, 00:59:33, Ian Archbold, NE Ambulance, 00:59:39, George Reid, Aycliffe, 01:00:11, Diane Adkins, Quakers, 01:00:32, Jenny Haworth, Quakers, 01:01:36, Julie Whinn, Quakers, 01:01:58, Wendy Glasper, Quakers, 01:04:01 and Alan Prest, Quakers, 01:05:00. Race results from the 3rd race will be issued soon.

The fourth of the White Horse Handicaps will be held on July 13 at the White Horse Hotel, Harrowgate Hill, Darlington. Runners are encouraged to register by 6.30 pm for the 7.15 pm start. For further details see the clubs website at www.quakersrunningclub.co.uk

The Quakers' annual presentation night will be held on July 17 at Mowden Rugby Club. Tickets are now on sale and going quick! All members, past and present, families and friends are more than welcome to attend. Please contact Dawn Richardson on 07950 529312 for tickets.

The next Inov-8 Fell race is Monks Moor on July 25. The race starts at 11am from the side of the road at grid reference 948264, one mile above Middleton in Teesdale and is nine miles long with 2592 feet of ascent. Register on the day.

Richmond and Zetland Harriers

Missing from last week's Richmond and Zetland Harriers round up (due to your correspondent's oversight) was mention of Tony Hewson. After several week's upheaval, moving business and family from The Stabledoor Restaurant to The Priory Guesthouse in Middleham, and minimal training since the London Marathon, Tony finished 2nd in the Leyburn Leisure Club 6 mile Road Race on Sunday 13th in about 42 minutes. Also missing were details of The Allertonshire School's success in the TSB sponsored Schools T&F Cup. Two Harriers were part of the School's Junior Girl's team who were runaway winners at the County stage at Huntington Stadium, York, in May and who won the North East regional final on Monday 14th June at Gateshead International Stadium. Rosie Adams competed in the 800m and the discus; Ruth Hill competed in the 100m and the long jump; both competed well to earn points for the team. They will now compete at Gateshead on 3rd July against twelve other top school teams in the National final. Three other teams from the School were also entered in the competition: the Inter Girls, with Jo Adams and Katie Roberts, were clear winners at York and finished a close second at Gateshead; the Inter and Junior Boys, with Shane Darby and Douglas Roberts, were also winners at York but finished 3rd and 4th respectively at Gateshead and didn't make the Final line up.

The NYSD fixture saw star on the night Kate Avery of Shildon who won the Under 13 Girls 800m in a time of 2:33.2, a Grade 2 performance. The Harriers managed 15 winners.

Eric Williams continued his comeback from an achilles injury in his first Road Race of the year at Gosforth in Cumbria, finishing 3rd overall and & 1st Male Vet behind Alan Bownes.

English Schools T&F Championships results: Sean Osborn 4th Inter Boys 400m in 54.7, Shane Darby 5th in the Junior Boys Triple Jump with 11m01, Nick Outhwaite 1st in the Junior Boys Pole Vault with 2m11, Sophie Broadway finished 3rd Junior Girl and equalled her personal best 26.7 for 200m and Jo Adams was 2nd in the Junior Girls 800m in 2:26.0. Carl Outhwaite represented Durham Schools in their Inter-County T&F match and achieved the first of two PBs over the weekend: he threw 6kg hammer 37m60 on the Saturday and then on the Sunday, throwing for Gateshead Harriers in the National Junior League, he was 4th in competition and improved his PB to 39m12 - a good weekend for him.

Race four in the Harrogate & District Road Race League saw the following results: 24th (& 2nd M55) Mike Brooks 31:05, 31st (& 4th M40) Taff Rogers 31:22, 86th (& 8th Lady) Kerrie Foxall 36:20, 102nd Neil Piper 37:36, 103rd Sarah Gregory 37:40, 104th Sasha Sanders 37:42 & 157th Shirley Mathurin 43:52 from 191 finishers.

Fixtures over the next seven days are the usual pot-pourri of road running, track and field and fell racing. First off is the Burn Valley Half Marathon and 3 mile Fun Run, starting from Masham at 2 pm on Saturday 3rd; the third fixture in the Northern Senior T&F League starts at 12 noon at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow on Sunday 4th along with the Tynedale 10K Road Race.

Darlington Harriers

The third young athletes league meeting of division two North-East took place at the Riverside Stadium, Chester-le-Street on Sunday, June 27. After a very competitive afternoon Darlington finished in second place with 389 points and remain overall second behind Birtley AC.

Results: U13 girls 75m - Jasmine Bonefide 11.4; Ruby Pratt 12.4. U13 boys 100m (A race) - Paul Jefferson 1, 14.3; Robert Fox 1, 15.0 (B race).

U15 boys 100m - Andrew Clifford 15.6, James Mohan 16.6. U17 men 100m - Neil Best 12.3, Daniel Ghundoo 12.4. Under 15 girls high jump - Tara Kennedy 1.56, Emma Shakeshaft 1.35. U13 girls shot - Jade Hall 5.36, Ruby Pratt 4.76. U13 girls 800m - Rebecca Noble 2:43.5, Jade Hall 2:54.6, U13 boys 800m - Robert Fox 2:35.8, Paul Clifford 2:36.8. U15 girls 800m - Emma Clifford 2:44.00, Emily Saxby 2:49.5. U15 girls shot - Judith Grant 6.97, Sian Taylor 6.97. U15 girls 75m hurdles - Verity Pratt 1, 13.0 at her first attempt at the event; Emma Clifford 15.0. U15 girls javelin - Judith Grant 1, 21.38 (A), Emma Clifford 1, 13.12 (B). U15 boys 80m hurdles - Andrew Clifford 20.1. U13 high jump - Gemma Taylor 1.29. U13 boys long jump - Liam Smith 3.47. U15 boys shot - Ian Smurthwaite 7.61 and 400m 62.4.

The next meeting is at Jarrow on August 1 when promotion will be decided.

The road running section was out in force on Sunday at the Rainton 10km, Mark Grainger finished third in 33.41, Steve O'Neill eighth, 35.29; Alison Raw 23rd and first female 23rd, 38.25; Graham Bell 26th 38.50, Paul Smith 212th 53.20, Harry Prince 213th 53,21, Annette Hubery 253rd 61.25,

The men's team of Martin, Steve and Graham came away with first team prize. At the Hamsterley Forest 10km Steve Hutchinson was first Harrier home in 19th place in 43.21. Brian Hannah 28 45.59, Steve Dauber 56th in 54.04, Annette Hubery 73rd in 64.22 and Gill Wallis 74th in 68.31.

Steve Dauber was the club's only runner at the Humber Bridge half-marathon. The Pitstop 10km race will be taking place at Croft Circuit on Wednesday, July 14. Starting with the 2km fun run at 6.45, wheelchair race at 7.15 followed by the main 10km race at 7.30. The Harriers train at Eastbourne sports complex, Hundens Lane from 6.15 Tuesday and Thursday. Contact John Brant on (01325) 257672 for details.