Athletes shine at championship.

Byline: MIKE COTTON

ATHLETES from the North Yorkshire and South Durham League made their mark at the National Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park in Nottingham.

All the athletes were representing the North Eastern Counties team and pride of place went to Shildon's Kate Avery, who took the bronze medal in the Under-20 ladies' race and also led her side to the team bronze medals.

Jessica Russon, of New Marske Harriers, and Kirsty Legg, of

Middlesbrough (Mandale), also won Under-20 team bronze medals with their 16th and 31st positions.

Although out of the team of medals, Mandale's Kristina Grant also ran well for 50th position in the 157-strong field.

The North Eastern Counties team ran extremely well in the senior ladies' race to take the team bronze medals with Middlesbrough and Cleveland's Carolyn Summersgill running her best race at national level - finishing in 37th place out of 278 finishers.

She was the third counter for the

North Eastern team.

In the senior men's race, Dominic Shaw (New Marske) ran an excellent race to finish 54th and was the North East's fourth counter.

His club colleague Lewis Gamble-Thompson closed the North-east's six counters in 123rd place.

Out of the counters, but running well in his first big race at senior level, was Andy Wiles, also of New Marske, in 153rd position in a field of 300 runners.

The Under-20 men's team finished an excellent fifth in the team race with Russell Best (New Marske) finishing 14th.

Adam Blowers (New Marske) and Matthew Jones (Middlesbrough and Cleveland) also ran well for 75th and 85th positions and were the North-east's fourth and fifth counters.

Mark Shaw, of New Marske, enjoyed a fine run in the Under-15 boys' race and was the first man home for the North-eastern team in 35th position while Grant Hawkins (Mandale) was the third counter for the North-east in 75th position in the Under-17 race..