Scottish Athletics Indoor League Kelvin Hall 2nd Dec 2007.

The first meeting of the winter season started with a bang for the thin yellow and blue line of Central Athletes. At Under 11 ,Greg Downs for the boys and Jennifer Downie performed well and Roisin Bonnuchi had a had an excellent debut in the 600m and long jump.

  Under 13 boys Matt Smith and Dominico Angiolini shone, new boy Sanju had an excellent Long Jump of 3m 86. The girls ably were represented by Aimee Bilsland, Lily Cairns-Taylor in sprints and long jump with each having top 3 performances. Emily Greenan put in a good 800m time.

   Niamh Callan, Sophie Brown, Amy Douglas And Sarah Dick kicked off their winter season at Under 15 with good times and distances , Niamh sprinting to 31.2 s in the 200m  Sophie winning her High Jump with 1m 50cm. Under 15 boy Roddy Irvine jumped and ran well also.

  The Under 17 men Adam Mathers and Kyle Henderson stood out for their club with Kyle jumping an excellent new personal best of 1m.90 to start off what could be another great season.

Last but definitely not least at Under 20 men Jerome and Justin Braithwaite alongside Craig Bannerman had good times in the 60m, 400m and threw well in the shot put.

 Overall a gutsy performance from all who took part and we look forward to the rest of the indoor season with confidence .            

East District Cross Country Championships

Central AC’s cross country season continued in winning form as their squads took four team golds and three individual titles as they hosted the East of Scotland Championships at Stirling University campus. The course ran from Airthrey Castle towards the base of the Wallace Monument with fine views down along the Hillfoots largely hidden by the weather as the runners battling miserable wet and windy conditions.

There was little doubting the quality of Alastair Hay in the Senior Mens race over 9.6 kilometres. Alastair went into the lead on the first of the three laps and although challenged on the second lap Alastair soon re-established his position as he came home with time to spare in an excellent 31min 17secs. Scott McDonald has had an interesting few weeks and here came home in seventh place, a superb finish for this first year Under 20 athlete against such mature and top class opposition, with a 32.49 clocking.  Alasdair Anthony, as normal, started conservatively and worked his way through the field to finish an excellent tenth in 32.59. Ross Houston has proven to be a cornerstone of Central’s performances throughout the season and once again did not disappoint as he finished 18th in 33.56. Kyle Cowie battled throughout against the course and opposition and was rewarded with 20^th place in 34.43. Lewis Millar stuck well to his task to come home in an excellent 24^th place in 34.43. With Robert Russell missing there was always going to be a relentless challenge from Hunters Bog Trotters for the Team Gold medals, however the runs from Alastair Hay, Scott McDonald, Alasdair Anthony, Ross Houston, Kyle Cowie and Lewis Millar ensure the Gold Team medals were once again lifted by the team from Central Athletic Club.

Michael Wright had another fine run to finish 36^th in 35.32 and Alex Milne produced his normal gritty performance for 47^th in 35.56 while Douglas Flynn (62^nd in 36.51), Phil Williams (86^th in 37.57), Graham Harvey (91^st in 38.21) and Rico Keidel (92^nd also in 38.21) all finished in the coveted top 100 places.  Indeed the improved run from Graham Harvey ensured that, along with Scott McDonald and Kyle Cowie, Central lifted the Under 20 Mens Team Gold medals.

Liam McCabe came home in a very creditable 105^th in 38.52 while the remainder of Central’s athletes finished as follows – Phil Sweeney (128^th in 39.53), Hugh Buchanan (132^nd in 39.56), Robert Hutchison (140^th with 40.27), Fraser Purves (144^th in 40.44), Stuart Watson (145^th with 40.47), Alan Hume (151^st with 41.04), Will Hensman (160^th with 41.38), Chris McHardy (167^th with 42.09), Jamie McDonald (196^th with 44.14), Ian McDonald (197^th with 44.20) and Alan Gall (223^rd with 46.53).

The Senior Women’s Team prize soon looked to be in control with a concentration of Central vests well to the fore, but who would win the medals was always in doubt.  Lyn Wilson from Carnethy established an early lead and remained just out in front but behind her there was a tussle that finally ended up with Morag MacLarty coming home in second (24:50), with Alison Docherty coming next for Central with 25:05 and Emma Waterhouse in 25:08. Hester Dix from Fife intervened to take third place, but with second, fourth and fifth to count for team points, the trio easily took the team championship title.

Ainsley Normand was next home for Central (16^th, 26:03), just pipping Jennifer Emsley (17^th, 26:05) towards the finish with Hazel Dean 20^th in 26:16 and Sarah Pickett (24^th, 26:42). Polly Harrison run shows continually improving form and took 35^th place with 27:39, Claire Waterhouse (38^th, 27:46) with Jane Waterhouse taking 50^th place (28:30) pulling away from Fiona Kelsall on the last lap (55^th, 28:47).  Other placings in the record field were Andrina Buchanan (66^th, 30:01) Mary Kerr (95^th, 32:09), Morag Adam (107^th, 34.57), Jacqui L’Etang (108^th, 35.14), Tracey McInally (112^th, 38:57) and Louise Harris (115^th, 41:13)

In the under 13 category, Kathryn Gillespie again showed her awesome promise by taking the title, with another two full seasons to follow in this age group. Her winning time for the 3.2kilometre course, of 12.33, some 21 seconds clear. Icing on the cake came with Bronze team medals also going to Kirsty Buchanan (13^th, 14:02) and Amy Hendry (16^th in 14:16) after both girls had determined runs Roanna Fraser, another 11 year old in her first race for the club made it in 31^st in 15:01 with Emily Greenan 36^th in 15:59.

The Under 13 Boys race over 3.2 kilometres saw a determined effort by Conor Kerr as he finished in a highly creditable sixth place in 12min 27secs.  Nathan Betton (15^th in 13.46) and Gordon Milne (16^th in 13.56) both ran well throughout to ensure that Central’s Under 13 Boys Team lifted the Bronze Team medals. While out of the team medals on this occasion Philip Wright showed further progress as he came home 23^rd in 14.22, closely followed by Rory Bain in 27^th plave with 14.42.

The under 15 girls team was led in by Rachel Adamson with 12^th in 19:34 with Shona Buchanan (25^th 21.02) and Julie Cook (28^th 21:28) both having strong runs to combine for fifth team. Sole contender in the under 17 age group for Central, Gemma Milne completed the 4.4kilometre course in eleventh in 20.08 and was pleased with her run.

There was some high quality running in the Under 15 Boys race in spite of the cold wet and windy conditions with Scott Green just outside the individual medals, covering the 4.4 kilometre course in fourth in 16min 32secs.  Tom Watson also looked strong as he came home in fifth in 16.57 and a personal battle between Ross Milne (13^th in 17.39) and David Hutchison (14^th in 17.41) ensured excellent places for both boys with Scott, Tom and Ross carrying off the Team Gold medals. Roddy Irvine (28^th in 19.08) battled well in the dreadful conditions while Martin Hall (30^th in 19.22), David MacKinlay (36^th in 20.49), Chris Park (39^th in 21.02), Kelly Carruthers (41^st in 21.28) and Calum Park (43^rd in 23.27) can all be proud to have conquered the course in style.

The Under 17 Mens Race was held over two large laps (6.4 kilometres) of this testing course and it was good to see Sean Reilly lift an individual Bronze medal with a 21min 32secs effort. Alexander Hendry underlines his potential on almost every outing and here came home in an excellent fourth place in 21min 42secs.  Jonathon Tolson in 15^th with a 23min 56secs showed improved form to ensure these three young men went home with the Silver Team medals.  Andrew Butchart ran strongly throughout to finish 21^st with 25.12 and it was good to see Sandy MacLarty testing himself in this company as he finished 32^nd overall.

Thanks are due to the Central Athletic Club members who ensured a well marked and testing course was set-up and in particular to the Club’s volunteers who braved hours of appalling weather to ensure the course was fully and safely marshalled.

Junior Cross Country Series

Once again there was good weather to welcome the 25 youngsters who competed in the second race of this season’s Central Athletics Club Junior Cross Country Series held in Alva Woodlands on Saturday 15 December.  Credit needs to be paid to all the athletes who tackled this tough course with the final testing run up a series of steps being passed by all in fine style.

t was two Under 15’s Tom Watson and Scott Green who were locked together over most of the one mile course and it was Tom who used his hill running experience to good effect as pushed on up the final steps to win in 5min 5secs with Scott only a few strides behind in 5.07.  Under 13 Conor Kerr also produced his usual committed performance as he finished third in 5.47 while David McKinley continued his progress with a well judged performance in 6min 15secs. Kelly Carruthers produced a much improved performance as he finished in an excellent 6.24 timing while Under13, Nathan Betton, underlined his importance to the Club in this age group with his 6.26 clocking.  Philip Wright showed good form as he finished in 6.45 closely followed by another encouraging run by the first Girl, Under 13 Kirsty Buchanan (6.50).  Amy Hendry and Shona Buchanan battled all the way to the finish with both girls finishing in 6.53 and it was good to see Emily Greenan finishing in a competitive 7min 1second.

Roisin Bonucchi is another young athlete building a reputation and added further to this with her 7min 9sec run while Domenic Angiolini produced another solid performance to finish in 7.17.  Stacy Hardman again looked strong as she finished in 7.21 and Scott Fleming did well to finish in 7.30 in his first competitive cross country.  Tara Walls (7.32), Isla Burns (7.33) and Lisa Hardman (7.34) finished in close order having run competitively throughout.  Ruth McCabe overcame this tough course and was another to do well to finish in 7.54, while Robbie Morrison (8.07), Jennifer Downie (8.14), Beth Gallagher (8.14), Abbie Elder (8.39), Stewart Hunter (8.52) and Sean Dodd (8.53) may have made up the tail of this field this time round but all showed true character and can be proud of their efforts.

Gartmorn Dam - Boxing Day 2007

There was an excellent turnout of Central Athletic Club athletes at the traditional Boxing Day Fun Run at Gartmorn Dam.  With good conditions available the adults used the opportunity for a longer training run leaving the Club’s youngsters competing over the 3 mile Gartmorn Dam Trail.

Showing continuing excellent form it was Scott Green who came home first with a fine run of exactly 17 minutes. Chris Clarke was another to underline his form with his 17.33 run and Connor Kerr can be pleased with his 17.45 run, almost half a minute improvement from last year. It was good to welcome Keiran Everden for his first run on this course, finishing in 18.48, while Kelly Carruthers came through in 21.22 and Jack Kerr ran well to finish in 24.49.

The Girls race was won with another gritty performance from Kirsty Buchanan in 21.41 while Katy Adam and Maeve Weldon finished together in 26.28 and it was good to see Sheilagh Adam tackling the course and finishing in a competitive 26.52.

Endurance Group – Christmas Handicap – Thursday 20^th December 2007

Derek Easton’s Training Group held its now customary and much anticipated Christmas Handicap at Stirling University on Thursday 20^th December. Derek acted as handicapper and race organiser and should be pleased with the excellent and enthusiastic turnout of 40 runners on the night.  Within the results the times are shown as firstly the race time and secondly the actual time for the two and a half mile course.

First off was Tracey McInally who made the most of her handicap and was never headed as she came home first in 21min 40secs/20.10. Young Jonathon Greenaway showed good form in second place in (22.01/17.01) while Fiona Kelsall also proved her competitive credentials in third with (22.06/16.51). Brian Hodge was the first Veteran runner home (22.16/19.16), closely followed by the first Under 17, Jonathon Tolson (22.18/13.33).  Jane Waterhouse had a speedy run as first Female Veteran (22.27/16.42) with Phil Hendry (23.32/17.02), Phil Sweeney (22.40/14.55), Ian McDonald (22.48/16.18), Alex Hendry (22.49/13.19), Brian McInally (22.50/18.35), the fast finishing Sean Reilly (22.51/12.51) and Val Shatwell (22.52/20.37) all in close order.

Alex Milne (22.52/13.57) just headed home Robert Russell (22.58/11.58) who impressively recorded the fastest time on the night by over half a minute. Roger Greenaway (23.03/15.33) led home a group containing Morag Adam (23.06/20.06) and Scott McDonald (23.09/13.09) who ran the third fastest time to finish a few strides ahead of Lewis Millar (23.11/13.26) and Phil Williams (23.14/14.14) while Morag MacLarty (23.15/14.30) was the fastest female on show.  Club Secretary Liam McCabe (23.18/15.18) also looked competitive just ahead of Under 17 Gemma Milne (23.19/18.19) and Douglas Flynn who recorded 23.20/14.35. Alistair Hay (23.31/12.46) ran the second fastest time and headed the closest finish of the night between Hugh Buchanan (23.25/15.55) and Bob Wiseman (23.25/14.25). Robert Hutchison strode round to (23.28/15.13) with Michael Wright (23.33/14.03), Stuart Watson (23.35/15.35), Hazel Dean (23.43/15.43), Jamie McDonald (23.45/15.30) and Sandy MacLarty (23.48/19.33) all pushing on throughout. Sarah Jane Pickett (23.52/16.07), Linda Sneddon (24.05/21.05), Alan Gall (24.06/18.06), Adrian Louden (24.11/17.56), Ainsley Normand (24.25/15.55), Simon Nash (24.37/18.37) and John Dickson (25.07/21.37) may have brought up the rear of the field on this occasion but all will have reason to seek revised handicaps.