March 2007

Junior Cross Country Series in Kings Park Stirling – 3 March 2007

Cold, showery conditions met the thirty four young athletes involved in the Forth Valley Athletics Partnership Training Session which also included the final race in Central Athletic Club’s Junior Cross Country Series in Kings Park Stirling on Saturday 3 March.

Once again it was Tom Watson who underlined his class with a fine run, clocking 4mins 59secs over the one mile course while Ross Milne (5.07), along with Roddy Irvine (5.11), Conor Kerr (5.14) and Alexander Couborough (5.21) proved the Club’s depth of talent in the Under 13 age group.  David Hutchison (5.16) was another to show excellent form as he won the Under 15 race and lifted the Series Trophy in this age group, followed by Under 15 Girls overall winner, the ever improving Catriona Buchanan (5.19).

Under 11 Boy Stuart Bremner had an excellent run to clock 5.45 and it was good to see Rosie Hastings finishing strongly for 5.53. This was Andrew McNally’s (U11) first run in this company and he looked a useful athlete as he finished in 5.56. It was however Philip Wright who won the Under 11 Boys Series Trophy, finishing here in exactly 6 minutes. Calum McLaren was another to compete with confidence with a 6.02 run and Connor Eckersall did well to finish in 6.07, a few strides ahead of Rory Bain and Chloe Rock, both in 6.07. Amy Hendry again ran strongly to finish in 6.10 with Kirsty Buchanan battling round to a useful 6.20, a few strides ahead of her sister Shona (6.23).  Adam Hinton and Sam Fraser have supported every event of the Series and here finished in 6.23 and 6.28 respectively, while Gordon Milne completed the course in 6.30.

Lauren Walker (6.35) and Imogen Burnell (6.37) had useful runs finishing in a close contest with Under 9 Series Champion Jack Kerr (6.37). Aimee Bilsland (6.37) just prevailed over Emily Greenan (6.39) with the Girls also finishing in this order in the Under 11 Series.  The remaining athletes all showed great character as they handled the cold, wet conditions well and it will be good to follow the development of these young athletes, Holly Meikle (6.46), Rebecca Stewart (6.47), Agatha Williams-Kelly (6.55), Stacey Hardman (6.55), Ruth McCabe (7.00), Lily Cairns-Haylor (7.19), Lewis Sinclair (7.29) and Adam Hamilton (7.44).

Thanks are again due to Derek Easton for his great work with the athletes throughout the Race Series and apologies for the somewhat rain disrupted presentations which will require some slight correction of Series Results.

Scottish Master Cross Country Championships - 3rd March

The Central AC women’s cross country squad came home from the Scottish Master Cross Country Championships at Bathgate with a full set of medals. Hazel Dean took to her task well, despite a cold, to take a bronze medal in her age group and finished 7th overall in 27.59 minutes. Jane Waterhouse was next home in 13th place to take the gold medal in her W50 age-group with a time of 29.04. Her record eighth age-group win was matched by Falkirk’s Janette Stevenson who won the W55 class. Polly Harrison ran strongly to finish 14th in 29.17 and together with Hazel and Jane gained  the silver team medals behind the outstanding Falkirk trio. The strong Central team also featured Andrina Buchanan (22nd in 30.01) and Mary Kerr (41st in 32.46).

The men’s race covered an extra third lap of the deceptively tough course and Dougie Flynn was first Central runner home in 23rd place (37.07) in the highly competitive men’s ranks. Alex Milne came home in 40th place in 38.07 with Steve Laing 53rd in 38.41. Hugh Buchanan was fourth team counter in 136th in 43.15 with the team given 12th place.  A strong team turnout also featured John Millar (184th in 46.48) Philip Hendry (194th, 47.34), David Hay (202nd, 48.67), Alan Gall ( 212nd, 49.46) and the evergreen Jim Drummond (230th in 53.28).

Photos