Stornoway Running and Athletics Club
Island Athletes at Young Athletes Scottish Final
Island athletes represented team HIPPO (the Highlands and Islands composite team) at this seasons Scottish Young Athletes Final at Grangemouth stadium on August 1st. HIPPO athletes from throughout the Highland’s and Islands’ once again performed well and were only just edged out of third place by 24 and a half points by Ayrshire. However HIPPO was well clear of fifth place Inverness Harriers with a 131 points advantage. Team HIPPO originally included the Highland capital club, but now competing separately one can only wonder what might have been if the strength’s of the Highlands and Islands had made a combined effort!
SRAC provided ten athletes for HIPPO, competing in most disciplines including; Jumps (long and triple), sprints and hurdles and the middle distance events (800m and 1500m). Conditions on the day were totally variable and in the main not ideal for personal best (P.B’s) performances! However the nature of the League Final is to place as best as possible to gain as many points as possible regardless of conditions. There is the surety of knowing as an athlete, that if you can compete in any conditions the elements can throw at you, then the best performances will come on another day! The same also applies to competing against top (or better) competitors, yet focusing on giving the best possible performance. That resolve within team HIPPO helped in the overall fourth place on the day!
The star performances from the SRAC contingent in the team came in both “A” and “B” string events as well as athletes taking part in events not usually contested by them. Jodie MacKay had a fairly good round of jumps in the long jump placing 3rd in the “A” string competition with a jump of 4 meters 36. Her bronze medal jump collected 6pts for the team, but she went on to claim another couple of points in the unfamiliar 1,500m, well done! Rebecca Munro competed in four events including the relay and clocked a P.B. in the 300m of 46.89 seconds. Though unfamiliar with jumping from the 9meter board Rebecca picked up more points for HIPPO in the triple jump and finished 3rd in the “B” string 800m. Danni Sinclair added to the points tally in her debut at sprint hurdles (other than on the island) and hurdled well “clipping” only one hurdle, but managed to adjust herself and got back into hurdling rhythm.
SRAC also added to Jodie’s bronze medals through fine performances of Peigi McKellar, Alasdair Summers and Jenny McTaggart. Peigi a regular winner at cross country events is less accustomed to the track over 800m, yet still produces fine runs. However she ran in the under 13 girls “A” string race and took 3rd place in 2 minutes 37, it would seem more time at the event on the track will reap more reward in the future.
Peigi outside lane …. Some rain too!
Rebecca and Orkney’s Lauren Oddie
Alasdair Summers ran the “A” sprint double (100/200m) and though a bit apprehensive after moving up from under 15 to under 17 he acquitted himself rather well. A sluggish start in the 100m left a lot of work to be done in the rest of the race, but in a determined fight back came through the field and in a “blanket” finish placed 5th. But better was to come in the afternoon for Alasdair in the 200meters, a better start left him in good position coming off the bend where he accelerated in chase of the leader and claimed a very impressive 2nd place in a very competitive race. Doing the sprint double in the girls under 13 “B” string was Jenny McTaggart who had a fantastic day’s competition. She did in fact take first in both events to pick up two gold medals, but Jenny’s effort in racing gun to tape is really what won her both events. Athletes often “ease-up” at the line, but this is one trick Jenny appears to have learned very quickly, this coupled with a slightly better start should see the clock tumble to better P.B’s!
SRAC had under 13 trio Michael MacMillan, Alasdair Rigby and Abbie MacKay furthering their athletic experience for HIPPO in the National final. Alasdair ran 75 and 200m and has a “bang-on” attitude for the sport! Abbie returned to contest the 70m hurdles as she silenced the crowd with a bad fall before finishing to the biggest cheer of the day last year, this year she negotiated the barriers with no problem!
There was also a small but very significant group of North Uist athletes competing for HIPPO with some good performances in amongst tough competition. Jack Bambridge triple jump in the “B” event took second place with 10meters 32 and after a good Western Isles Championship Owen MacInnes gained valuable competition experience in Grangemouth.
Both SRAC and NUAAC next and final track and field competition of the year will be the Grand Final of HIPPO in Inverness on September 18th. There after preparations turn to the cross country season and most notably the North District Championships to be hosted by SRAC in Stornoway on November 27th!
SRAC wish to thank the Lewis Harris Sports Council in assisting the club attend this event.
A Tupper
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