Last updated 12:25, Wednesday, 10 September 2008

CUMBRIA field a strong team for the grand finale to the 2008 athletics season – the Borders Inter County meeting – at Sheepmount Stadium, Carlisle on Saturday.

The match, between the best Under 15 and Under 17 athletes in seven counties: Cumbria, Dumfries & Galloway, Durham, Northumberland, Scottish Borders, Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear has attracted some of the country’s top athletes in the two age groups.

The county, hoping to win this inaugural fixture, field a string of county champions, England medallists, Northern champions and English Schools finalists.

JAMES BOWNESS (Trafford AC), from Egremont, goes in the 1500 metres. He is a North of England double medallist (at 800m and 1500m) and reached the final of both the English Schools championship and the recent prestigious UK School Games, both at 800 metres.

Partnering him in the middle-distances is TRISTAN VENUS (Tynedale AC), from Alston, who will be competing in the 800 metres. Tristan was a finalist at the English Schools Championships 1500 metres, an event where he is ranked 4th in the North West of England.

Having a busy afternoon will be Carlisle’s NICK MILLER (Border H) ranked 14th in Britain in the Under 17 Hammer. He won both the Hammer and the Javelin in the North East Schools Inter County meeting earlier in the season. He will be competing in both events at Sheepmount and also the Discus.

In the Under 17 Hammer Appleby’s KATY BERNARD (Border H) is stepping up from the Under 15 age group where she is ranked 3rd in Britain to take on Kayleigh Mills of Tees Valley ranked fourth in Britain.

Some doubt, through injury, surrounds Carlisle’s RYAN THOMPSON (Carlisle Aspatria AC). If fit spectators will be able to see the England Under 15 silver medallist at the indoor 200 metres in action.

Northern Under 15 200 metre champion and English Schools finalist CHELSIE BROWBANK (Carlisle Aspatria AC) from Wigton, runs that event, where she is ranked 10th in Britain, as well as the 100 metres.

“It will be an exciting event,” said Cumbria team manager Gwenda Ward, “and just the sort of competition that our young stars need. We are delighted that so many of our leading athletes are competing at this late stage in the season. There are some really talented athletes from across the north taking part, some of whom could possibly be competing for Britain in the future. We hope the public will come along and support them.”

Cumbria Team

Under 17 Boys

100 metres: Kieran Congdon (Carlisle Aspatria); 200m: Congdon; 400m: Joe Aris (Eden Runners); 800m: Tristan Venus (Tynedale); 1500m: James Bowness (Trafford AC); 3000m: Scott Thwaites (Kendal AC); 100m Hurdles: Chris Deboise (Carlisle Asp); 400m Hurdles: Tom Marper (Border H); 1500m Steeplechase: Marper; High Jump: Aris; Long Jump: Darren Lee (Eden Schools); Triple Jump: Josh Richardson (Carlisle Schools); Shot Put: tba; Discus: Nick Miller (Border H); Hammer: Miller; Javelin: Miller; 4 x 100m Relay (from): Congdon; Aris; Lee; Deboise; Richardson.

Under 17 Girls

100m: Lara Turner (Barrow Striders); 200m Turner; 300m Fiona Laurie (Border H); 800m: Vicki Johnson (Eden Runners); 1500m: Laura Vaillent (Allerdale Schools); High Jump: Tessa Stockdale (Seaton AC); Long Jump: Laurie; Triple Jump: Charlotte Rickards (South Lakes Schools); Shot Put: Hayley Hodgson (Cumbria Schools); Discus: Sarah Hill (Border H); Hammer: Katy Bernard; Javelin: Hodgson; 4 x 100m Relay: (from): Turner; Laurie; Anna Mulgrew (Carlisle Asp); Amee Jefferson (Seaton (AC); Johnson

Under 15 Boys

100m: Ryan Thompson (Carlisle Asp); 200m: Thompson; 400m Oliver Lithgow (Seaton AC); 800m Luke Ingham (Kendal AC); 1500m Tim Orr (Border H); 3000m Simon Little (Carlisle Asp); 80m Hurdles: Robbie Nixon (Border H); High Jump : Marcus Bell (South Lakes Schools); Long Jump: Robbie Nixon (Border H); Shot Put: David Armstrong (Carlisle Asp); Discus: Adam McKee (Carlisle Asp); Javelin: (Alex Taylor (Carlisle Asp); 4 x 100m Relay from: Thompson; Lithgow; Ingham; Nixon

Under 15 Girls

100m: Chelsie Browbank (Carlisle Asp); 200m Browbank; 800m: Eilidh Sproul (Kendal AC); 1500m: Abby Hetherington (Carlisle Asp); 75m Hurdles: Rachel Farthing (Lancaster AC); High Jump: Kirsty Norwood (Eden Runners); Long Jump: Farthing; Discus: Katy Barnard (Border); Javelin: Natasha Wooley (Border); 4 x 100m Relay from: Browbank; Farthing; Stockdale; Norwood; Sproul