Stornoway Running and Athletics Club
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Stornoway Running and Athletics Club |
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Isles Athletes Contest Scottish Final Isles athletes played their part in the first competitive season for Team HIPPO (Highlands and Islands Select) at the weekend following the team’s victory in the North East League for the Young Athletes Scottish League final in Grangemouth. Team HIPPO were very pleased to finish third overall from the eight teams contesting the National final and with only sixty points of a gap between HIPPO and second placed Giffnock North a place in the UK auxiliary final only just alluded team HIPPO! However the experience of the National final as part of a team pulled together form the most remote of athletics clubs in the country gave all involved a great sense of pride! HIPPO may have been new to the athletic arena but the team spirit and individual efforts by the athletes will ensure the team and regions future success. Young island athletes are now in the position whereby a whole new pathway development is available for them to train towards another level, hitherto unavailable. Hopefully team HIPPO will be strengthened by more young isles athletes striving to improve performances that this new initiative has created!
Team HIPPO included seven Western Isles athletes in sprints, middle distance and jumps events with some reasonable performances form the “competition starved” youngsters! Alastair Summers from Harris whose season started so well at the North District Championship’s was full of enthusiasm to be back running after suffering injury at the schools championships in June. Conditions were cool and slightly breezy, so not ideal for the sprinters! However Alastair was very competitive and his first 50metres and final push to the finish line in the 200metres was encouraging for the final races of the season! Ruairidh Stewart lined up for HIPPO I the under 17’s “B” race and in a very close race took the tape first to claim gold!
Eilidh MacIver selection ensured that the island was represented from Rodel to the Butt and the Ness athlete put in a good effort in the long jump to record a personal best jump of 4m.18. As the team suffered from some “call-off’s”, Eilidh also stood in for an absent runner in the 1500m and she looked fairy comfortable in adding points to the HIPPO total. Kirsty Munro in her first season of 300metres hurdles continued the “learning curve” and in phases of the race showed there is more to come with a little bit more work. Kirsty also completed a leg of the 4 x 300m relay where HIPPO came a close fourth.
Uist runner Rory MacLure had a “beast” of a day competing in the 800m, 3k and the 4 x 400meter relay! His 2mins 16 in the 800 was a little outside his best time, but with the new track and field facility due to open in Lionacleit watch this lad improve! Rory commitment certainly couldn’t be faulted as he had not long recovered form the 3000metres than he was into a leg of the 4 x 400 relay! Pat Sattaphol and Ruairidh Stewart led off for HIPPO in the 4 x 100 meter relay, with Pat being particularly impressive from Ruairidh lead in the second leg. Unfortunately a third place may have been the price lost through a wee bit of baton change difficulty? Next weekend the athletes return to Grangemouth to compete the individual Scottish Championships; this is followed by the Community Games on the 13th September and the Grand Finale of the HIPPO Series in Inverness on the 20th September. Club sessions continue on Tuesday 5.45 – 7pm for under 13’s and upward (minimum age 11) and on Saturday morning’s 10.30 – noon, younger age groups particularly welcome for the Saturday session. SRAC wish to thank the Lewis Harris Sports Council for their continued support.
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