LEWIS RETURNS TO SMASH CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD

 AFTER an absence of 13 years Lewis Robson is back on the top of the podium after taking the North Eastern Counties Pentathlon senior title with a record-breaking score. Despite being the only senior entrant at Monkton Stadium the former double English Schools’ 400 metres champion showed glimpses of his former self as he scored a superb 2,630 points which eclipsed the championship best of Gateshead team-mate Richard Kaufman’s 2013 figures of 2,521pts as well as erasing the meeting record points of 2,526pts set by City of Sheffield’s Thomas Grantham in 2017.

Robson, now 33-years-old, has linked up with his former coach Derek Wilcox at the International Stadium and the duo are working together as though there has been no break in proceedings with the intention of Robson improving as much as possible before moving
up into the veterans’ categories. Robson’s day’s work was: 5:78m long jump; 35:88m javelin; 31:01m discus; 24:32s 200m and 5:00:27 1,500m, which, at the end of the final event, brought a huge smile to his face. After receiving his double reward, Robson said: “I’m naturally delighted with my day’s work, I came with the hope of breaking the records despite not having competed in a long jump or ran a 1500m since 2006, so that’s why I’m so happy. “After being away so long I never thought that I would be able to return to athletics, but getting in touch with Derek is the best thing I’ve done for many years. I’m hoping Derek is enjoying it as much as I am.”

The under-17 contest was won by Matthew Burton (South Shields) who totalled 1,824pts after setting new pbs in all five categories! Gateshead’s Cameron Marshall totalled 1,670pts to claim the silver medal after just missing out on a clean-sweep of pbs in the long jump. Yorkshire visitor Ruben Stovell came out on top in the under-15 boys section after scoring 2,328pts. Stovell, of Hallamshire Harriers, was lying in second place going into the final 800m sequence and he managed to pull out a huge pb of 2:13.74 to wrest the title from. Derby AC’s Sam Coulson who eventually had to settle for third place after also being overtaken by Darlington’s Ashton Harrison who was crowned NE champion with 2,069pts after producing four new pbs along the way. Harrison’s team-mate Thomas Hill finished in fourth place overall but was runner-up in the NE Championships after totalling 1,529pts.

The under-13 boys contest was an all North East affair with eventual winner, Darlington’s Hugo Douglas-Reeves taking the title with a score of 1,756pts, exactly 100 more than Gateshead’s Ben Cunningham, who led the competition after three events, with North Shields Poly’s Oliver Barlow claiming the final podium place with 1,270pts. While Douglas-Reeves can claim new pbs in three of the five phases it was Cunningham’s high jump clearance of 1:52m which certainly caught the eye, a height which moves him up
to third in the current Po10 rankings!

Like the senior men’s competition, the senior women’s contest also had only one competitor with victory going to Darlington’s Sarah Johnson who posted new pbs in the 100m (17.66s); high jump (1:46m) and shot put (8:55m).

In the under-20 women’s competition, Gateshead’s Philippa Ellis was another athlete with records on her mind. The current record of 2,355 points was set back in 2013 by Houghton’s Rachel Scott but Ellis was in determined mood from the off so much so she was never headed in the competition after opening with 15.31s in her favoured 100m hurdles. The teenager followed that up with 10:83m in the shot put; a 1:43m clearance in the high jump; a long jump best of 5:16m and finished off with 2:38.18 in the 800 metres which resulted in a superb 3,126pts to set a new championship and meeting record. Team-mate Gemma Smith finished in second place with 1,657pts with North Shields Poly’s Evie Perrett completing the one-two-three on 1,607pts

The under-17 women’s event was certainly a close-run thing with only 37 points separating the top three athletes at the end of the day. After posting new pbs in the high jump, 80m hurdles, shot put and long jump, Jarrow and Hebburn’s Lexi Brown had a slight lead going into the final 800m phase. However, despite running even quicker than ever before she was overtaken by North Shields Poly’s Anna Fitzpatrick and New Marske’s Molly Thrower and in the end had to be content with receiving the bronze awards after totalling 2,756pts. Thrower, meanwhile, posted a huge 800m pb to just edge second place by two points with a total of 2,758pts. However, it was Fitzpatrick, who also had to produce a new 800m life-time best to eventually secure top spot with a total of 2,793pts. Darlington’s Tori Buckley led the way in the under-15 girls event helped by a new high jump pb of 1:31m to total 2,547pts, which was just 67 points better than Blyth’s Senna Gorvett whose 2,480pts included new pbs in the long jump, high jump and 800m. Greater
Manchester visitor Amy Hewitt finished in third place, the Leigh athlete totalling 2,348pts. New Marske’s Georgia Richmond totalled 2,321pts in fourth place and received the NE Counties bronze medal.

The closest finish of the day came in the under-13 girls’ event with just five points separating Hartlepool AC’s Isla Watson and Neve Watson (no relation) at the end of the five disciplines. Isla held the advantage after two events and continued to lead going into the final 800m with a huge cushion. However, Neve, did her utmost to close the gap and did so significantly by posting 2:30.67 against Isla’s first-ever two-lap effort of 3:01.26. So, at the end of the day Isla totalled 2,279pts against Neve’s 2,274pts. What a finish! Darlington’s Lottie Graves went into the 800m lying in fifth place but her 2:37.91 moved her up into bronze medal position with a total of 2,082pts.

**The expected rain didn’t materialise and the sunshine for most of the day proved the weatherman wrong so it was well done to all the athletes and their supporters and huge thanks to Start Fitness, to all the technical officials, many of whom had been on duty in Redcar the previous day at the Northern Athletics Road Relays and to the stadium staff and first aid team without whom the championships would not go ahead.