It’s eight in a row
Central AC’s senior men made it eight team titles in a row in the Scottish Cross Country Championships in Falkirk’s Callendar Park.
Adding to the record-equalling success for the club were encouraging team silvers for the Under 17 men and team bronze for the Under 20 women.
Yellow and blue vests soon made their way into top placings in the senior men’s race to ensure the title was retained and top counter on the day was Alastair Hay in fifth with a classy 33mins 58secs clocking over the undulating 10,000 metres course.
Aidan Thompson showed real determination to finish ninth (34.25) while Cameron Milne (13th; 34.50) worked well throughout. Scott McDonald (18th; 35.24) showed his normal strong running while Conan McCaughey (25th; 35.32) and Michael Wright (32nd; 35.46) ensured the club closed in with 102 points, with Corstorphine in second on 122 and Shettleston Harriers on 149. Matthew Sutherland (34th; 35.54) provided the necessary back-up to the scoring runners.
As the senior runners streamed through there were further improved performances from Murray MacLarty (42nd; 36.25), Fraser Logan (48th; 36.34) and Scott Brember (87th ; 37.44). Euan Jack finished 189th in 40.31 with other finishers being Neil Cameron (220th; 41.34), Ross McNaught (231st; 41.57), David Eckersley
(282nd; 42.51), Donald Shaw (295th; 43.14), Will Hensman (296th; 43.17), Gordon Appelbe (354th; 44.35), Colin Alexander (363rd; 44.50); Robin Mussett (397th; 45.58); Fraser Purves (410th; 46.27); Hugh Buchanan (411th; 46.28); Iain Dunsmore (430th; 47.01), Jens Subke (478th; 48.22), Ben Noad (486th; 48.43), Mark Logie (558th; 42.49), Colin Sinclair (562nd; 53.08), Allan Gall (567th; 53.23), Cameron Campbell (574th; 53.51) and Sandy MacLarty (619th; 63.36) - an impressive 29 finishers from Central AC.
The Under 17 men were always in contention for team medals in their 6000m challenge with Ben MacMillan leading Central’s effort in 18th (22.43) and backed-up by further sound performances from Tom Graham-Marr (23rd; 22.55), Telfer Gray (25th; 23.10) and Sandy Holl (29th; 23.19), the team was just pipped for team gold by two points. It was also good to see Gregor McArthur pit himself against the best in Scotland finishing in a creditable 65th placing in 26 minutes exactly.
The Under 20 women’s race of 7.5 kilometres was a tough battle with Central’s Kate Gallagher pushing hard amongst the leading group for early laps of the race. In the end she lost out the tussle for the individual bronze medal, finishing fourth place in 29.19 but great running by team-mates Fiona Davies (15th; 32.50) and Eleanor Hanson (33rd; 36.50) meant she collected a team bronze.
Central had just a single Under 17 women with Lizzie Stansfield showing up well in 30th in 29.34.
The senior ladies were defending champions but with a thinner team further weakened by illness, a finishing position of seventh club was a good outcome by the team’s top four counters. The course was the same as for the men and this suited marathon specialist Fanni Gyurko who fought hard for her excellent eighth place finish in 39.40.
Catriona Buchanan in 24th place (42.06) and Kim Timmins (36th; 43.38) also featured well to the front end of the race while Hazel Dean (83rd; 47.16), Amy Hendry (102nd; 48.35), Kirsten McStay (116th; 49.59), Becky Hay (130th; 50.55) and Alison Curry (232nd; 58.26) all featured well in a race with 271 finishers.
The Under 15 boys were always going to find their 4.1 kilometre course a tough challenge and here it was Finlay Muir who led Central’s effort in 38th (15.30). Kyle Howie was 47th (15.42) ahead of Lewis Dow (64th; 16.12) and Thomas Woods (81st; 16.50) as Central finished ninth overall.
In the Under 15 girls race, Carrie Banks finished in a fine ninth place in time of 15:58. Grace Tindall (78th; 18.51) and Naomi Howlieson (103rd; 19.31) also ran with great commitment.
The under 13 girls race was the first race of the day and it looked to go off fine but the technology of chip timing failed and the back up of video recording only took the first 60 finihsers so full timings and placing were not available. Melissa Turnbull (16th; 13:08) was highly impressive but there were also quality runs recorded from Anna MacKinnon (39th; 13:54), Summer Maclean (45th; 14.05) and Catriona Kane (14:30).
The Under 13 boys race was also over the same 3.1 kilometre course as the girls and here it was Connor Bell who again caught the eye in finishing ninth (11.48); Cameron MacMillan (26th; 12.28), Euan Campbell (84th; 13.21) and Jack Campbell (150th; 14.18) completed Central’s 11th placed team with another strong effort from Ross Lawrie (135 th; 14.29), in this highly competitive age group.