Central girls' super display

May 13 2009 by Jean Pedder, Stirling Observer Wednesday

IT WAS a weekend of triumph for Central Athletics Club in Wishaw with athletes battling torrential rain to contest the senior inter-regional cup, the under 15 and 17 Scottish closed championships and the under 13 superteams cup.

Saturday’s superteams event ended in victory for Central AC’s under 13 girls as they were crowned Scottish champions after a dramatic day’s action.

The team of Laura Clarke from Alva, Phoebe Crosthwaite of Crieff and Dollar pair Kathryn Gillespie and Isla Burns were in a class of their own against 30 other teams from throughout Scotland.

The superteams event comprised of teams of four competing against each other in the Long Jump, Javelin, 800m and sprint relay.

Central girls started impressively in the Long Jump with every athlete jumping at least 3.50m led by Laura Clarke on 3.72m.

The javelin event followed with excellent throwing from all the girls. However the highlight of the day came in the 800m where Kathryn Gillespie came within a whisker of the Scottish age group record as she stormed round in stunning time of 2:20.5 mins, closely followed by team mates Phoebe Crosthwaite (2:36 mins), Laura Clarke (2:44 mins) and Isla Burns (2:56 mins).

This performance left the team so far in front they just needed to get the baton round in the final relay event to secure victory.

However they did better than that, underlining their dominance by winning the sprint relay to finish a huge 50 points in front the runners up.

Also performing creditably in the superteams were the Central AC boys team of Dominic Angiolini, Matt Smith, Keiran Potter and Malcolm English with 7th place and the girls B team of Amy Gullen, Eilidh Ironside, Sophie Parsons and Roanna Fraser who placed a respectable 13th.

At the same time the under 15 and under 17 athletes were contesting the Scottish age group championships where Central had further success collecting eight medals including three golds.

Kyle Henderson underlined his dominance in the jumps events taking double gold in the under 17 High Jump (1.86m) and Long Jump (6.41m).

Scott Green was also on winning form in the middle distance taking a gold in the under 17 1500m steeplechase (4:31.74mins) and a bronze in the flat 1500m (4:11.50 mins).

Also jumping to a medal double was Louise Anderson who took silver in the under 17 Triple Jump (10.70m) and bronze in the Long Jump (5.09m).

There was further jumps success from Dunblane’s Caitlin Watson who celebrated her first ever Scottish medal taking an unexpected bronze in the under 15 girls Long Jump. Caitlin was lying in 7th place going into the last round where she leapt to a new personal best 4.59m to snatch the 3rd place.

The medal haul was completed by Martyn Paterson who took a bronze in the 400m in an excellent personal best 51.51s.

Under 15 Ryan Calder, was impressive in his first major championship reaching finals in both 100m (5th 12.89s) and 200m (6th 27.39s) and taking 4th in the Long Jump (4.69m).

Also reaching sprint finals were under 17s Sanju Siriwardenu (100m 7th 12.22s) and Megan Jardine (300m 8th 46.87s).

Further success came in the middle distance events with under 15s Connor Kerr (1500m 6th 4:45.82mins) and Imogen Burnell (800m 2:35.54 mins) and under 17s Rachel Adamson (800m 5th 2:22.51 mins), Tom Watson (800m 6th 2:06.55).

The action continued into Sunday when the senior and under 20 athletes contested the Scottish inter regional championships where many of Centrals athletes gained selection for a composite Forth Valley team.

Highlight of the day for Central was Ali Hay’s superb victory in the 1500m in 3:48.67.

Ali hit the front from the bell and had the strength to hold onto the lead on the line as fast finishers closed behind him. Ali managed to gather himself to take 3rd place in the 800m in an excellent 1:52.88.

The 1500m victory adds to the Scottish cross country title Ali won earlier this year and shows he has now reached international class with qualification for next years commonwealth games a realistic target for him.

Also performing impressively was Emma Waterhouse who ran 7:07 mins in the 2000m steeplechase to place second. Andrew Butchard also took a top three place with 14:49.93 in the 5000m.

Elizabeth Normand showed her consistency in the throws with 4th place in shot (8.32m) and the hammer (35.40m).

Central were well represented in the event with Jennifer Hutchison (400m 59.83s), Sean Reilly (1500m 3:56.87 mins), Fiona Thomson (1500m 4:41.22 mins) and the elder members of the team Kenny Pearson (Javelin 38.89m) and Ron Todd (Hammer 32.11m, Pole Vault 3.20m, Discus 29.13m).

ENDURANCE EVENT

THE latest race in the Forth Valley Athletic Partnership’s Endurance Initiative saw some tasty running in windy and wet conditions at Grangemouth Stadium on Wednesday, May 6.

The 800metre race saw nine young athletes line and up and it was Sam Fraser who set off in determined style, leading from gun to tape to win in 2minutes 40.93secs.

Scott Balloch brought his fine Cross Country form to the track in taking second spot in an excellent 2min 49.88secs timing.

Alana Boggan is a rising talent and here produced a tasty 2min 52.22secs timing with Chris Russell also pushing all the way to the line to finish in 2min 53.56secs.

Gary MacFarlane was another to show determined running to finish in 2min 54.84secs just ahead of a strong effort from Kieran Potter (2:55.97).

Charlotte Tilley showed good form throughout to come home in 2:56.77 and Shannon MacFarlane underlined her determination with a timing of 3:00.97, as did Aaron Naismith (3.07.95).

HILL RACE

IT was yet another racing victory for well known Gartmore runner Angela Mudge in the 36th annual Dumyat Hill Race last week.

Running from the Stirling University campus to the top of the hill and back again Angela won the women’s race in 40 minutes 29 seconds.

Although almost four minutes slower than the record she set in the 2007 race, last Wednesday (May 6) did see her braving much fiercer weather conditions.

Also battling against driving rain the men’s race was won by Glasgow University’s Matthew Gillespie in a time of 35 minutes dead, a comfortable 16 seconds ahead of second placed Alistair Anthony of Ochil Runners, with Glasgow colleague Oleg Chapelin in third.

Matthew was also crowned Scottish Universities Hill Running champion.

Only three runners from a field of 259 failed to finish, with sheer determination to beat the elements getting many of them over the finishing line.