Junior Cross Country Series – Race 2 - 6 November 2010

A record field of thirty-six runners tackled the second race in the Central Athletic Club’s Cross-Country Series over the testing Alva Woodlands Course in near perfect conditions on Saturday 6^th November.

The spectators, as always, encouraged the youngsters on the uphill finish as it was Under 13, Jack Kerr, who emerged at the head of the field in a very competent 5min 59secs.  Cameron Taylor also showed determined running to take second slot in the boys race in 6min 10secs, closely followed by Keiran Potter (6.15) and the first Under 15 boy, Stuart MacKinney (6.17) with another Under 15, Malcolm English (6.18), a few strides behind.  Jamie Paterson (6.24), Scott Fleming (6.36) and Jack Brisbane (6.50) all finished strongly while Ailig Struthers (7.09) and Andrew Shaw (7.11) both showed improved form.  Ben Parkinson (7.13) led home the Under 11 boys ahead of a resolute effort from James Thomson (7.25).  Sandy Holl (7.47) raced home ahead of a good effort from Michael Hewitt (7.50) with Ross MacKinlay (8.05) just ahead of Anthony Eckersley, also 8.05, and Ross MacCorgray (8.08).  The youngest athlete on the day, Under 9, Andrew Currie, had another good run to finish in 8min 22secs.

n the girls part of the race it was Under 15 Roisin Bonucchi who raced clear to finish in a classy 6.08 ahead of a more than useful showing from Tara Walls (6.39).  Shamsa Scott-Angell (6.41) was top Under 13 girl ahead of the next Under 15, Jane Brisbane (6.43).  Shannon MacFarlane underlined her form as second Under 13 girl (7.00) ahead of useful runs from Helen Mitchell (7.17) and Beth Gallagher (7.19).  Amy McCabe made a positive debut with 7.23 and it was good to see Emma Braidwood finish well in 8.06.  Erin Clark was once again the top Under 11 Girl (8.06) just ahead of two other debutants, Erin Potter, also 8.06, and Jenny Holl (8.08).  A determined Rachel Martin (8.22) came home a stride ahead of Emma Berrie, also 8.22.  Catherine Mitchell (8.46), Colette McEwan (8.55), Samantha Kujawa (9.25) and Amy Owens (9.43) all put in strong efforts to conquer the course.

The Series moves on to Kings Park, Stirling on Saturday 18^th December at 10am to which all youngsters are invited.

The Lasswade Cross Country Races were held on Sunday 7^th November with a small contingent of Central’s runners showing their form.  Eilidh MacCorquodale once again impressed, finishing second in the Under 15 girls race covering the 2 mile course in 13min 41secs while Roisin Bonucchi finished 13^th in the same race clocking 16.14.  The evergreen Hazel Dean finished seventh and second Masters runner in the Senior Womens race over 3.8miles in 27min 45secs.  David Hutcheson is another who continues to impress and here finished a competitive fifth (third Under 20) in the Senior Mens 6mile race clocking 38min 34secs while Masters competitor Fraser Purves finished in a useful 32^nd placing with 43min 41secs.

2010 Awards Night

Central Athletic Club’s Awards Ceilidh was held in the Devonvale Hall, Tillicoultry on Friday 12 November.  With standards rising across the Club it was a night of high-class nominations and Awards Winners with a long list of quality athletes missing out this time around.  The Club Championship awards and medallists were, Under11 Boys – George Stanger, Keiran Halliday, Jack Houghton; Under 11 Girls – Kate Gallagher, Evie Gallagher, Rachel Martin; Under 13 Boys – Calum Presland, Iain Davies, Euan Lambert; Under 13 Girls – Sarah Pearson, Isla Burns, Megan Ely; Under 15 Boys – Hamish Innes, Liam Haliday, Lewis Hetman; Under 15 Girls – Caitlin Watson, Kirsty Forsyth, Laura Clarke; Under 17 Men – Sanju Siriwardena, Ryan Calder; Under 17 Women – Louise Anderson, Kirsty Mitchell, Chloe McGregor; Under 20 Men – Niall Finlayson; Senior Men Kenny Pearson; Masters Men – Alex Milne, David Eckersley, Robert Hutchison.

 Sarah Pearson also picked up the Joe Allan trophy for the Best Performance at the Club Championships for an Under 13 Girl (70 metres hurdles in 12.1secs) while Calum Presland won the Under 13 Boys Joe Allan trophy (26.5secs for 200metres) along with the Cup for the best performance by any athlete at the Club Championships.  Chloe McGregor went home with the trophy for the Outstanding Contribution by a Female Athlete to Club Performance.  Robert Burns won two throws trophies, the Best Performance for Throws at the Club Championships (8.41metres shot put) and the Bob Crawford Memorial Trophy for Javelin, while Beth Gallagher picked up the respective Girls Javelin Trophy (18.98metres).  The Jimmy Millar Memorial Trophies for Horizontal Jumps went to Kyle Henderson (7.22metres long jump) and Louise Anderson (5.36metres long jump and 11.36metres triple jump), while Louise also walked off with the Isobel Robertson Memorial Trophy for her Outstanding Contribution to the Young Athletes League with Sanju Siriwardena winning the Male equivalent.  The Fraser Memorial Trophies went to Emma Raven for her improvement from 10min 32.02 secs to 10min 5.92secs in the 3,000metre steeplechase and Ross Houston with an improvement of 9 minutes in the marathon to 2hours 22mins 49secs.  The Ralph Erskine Memorial Trophies for Outstanding Contribution to Club Performance in Cross Country were awarded to Catriona Buchanan and Ross Houston.  The Whitelam Quaichs were also closely contested with the award for outstanding contribution to commitment in endurance gong to Alasdair Anthony and that for excellence in endurance events to Alastair Hay for his second successive victory in the Senior Scottish National Cross Country Championships, his winning performance in the Scottish 1500metres Championships and his performances at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.  The final award of the night, The Jimmy Miller King of the Track (KOT) Memorial Trophy for the most committed Club athlete was presented to Catriona Buchanan whose hill running exploits as a Junior International has, this year, seen her compete twice for Great Britain and win the Senior Womens Snowdon Hill Race.

With a quiet competition weekend it was good to see Lindsay Morrison coming home as first female home in the Achilles Heel Jimmy Irvine 10K, held in Glasgow on Saturday 13 November, in the excellent time of 37mins 36secs