Youngsters run in Laighhills sun
The second race in the Central Athletic Club’s 2018/19 CrossCountry Series was held in unseasonably bright sunshine on Saturday at the Laighhills, Dunblane.
A testing course of some 1.8km saw a field of 53 runners completing the challenge and Connor Bell controlled the race to finish as overall winner in six minutes 40 seconds.
He led home more fine runs in his U13 age group from Joshua Kennedy (7.19), Owen Eckersley (7.44), Cameron Darnborough (8.19) and Ethan Duncan (8.23) with Cian McDonnell (8.37), Josh Whitby (9.14), Freddie Mills (9.59) and Scott Hill (10.19) all equal to the test.
U15 runner Ryan McGuire also looked in good form as he led home this age group with a 6.45 clocking with further fine efforts from Euan Docherty (7.02), Ross Lawrie (7.58), Jamie Goddard (8.11) and Lloyd Raymond (8.17). Oliver Holden was the only U17 boy on show and finished with a creditable 7.17 effort.
The U11 boys again proved to be the largest group and here it was Ray Taylor who led his peers home in an impressive 7.34 ahead of other classy performances from Euan Haythorne (8.03),
Rory Gunn (8.04), Lewis Cook (8.29), Fergus Young (8.33), Jamie Connor (8.42), Callum Harvey (8.44), Logan Bell (8.45), Joel Gillan (8.48) and Noah Kennedy (8.51). JJ McIntyre (9.03) led home a string of further fine efforts from Scott MacMillan (9.07), Magnus Carrie (9.13), Sandy Bateman (9.14), Conall Paterson (9.25), Cameron Pollock (9.34) and Matthew Inman (10.53). AJ MacMillan was the sole U9 boy to pick-up the challenge finishing in a highly respectable 9.12.
Summer MacLean was the top female competitor producing a tasty 7mins 46secs in the U15 girls category with Amy Cully (7.59) in hot pursuit. Heather Riach (8.35) and Ellen Montgomery (9.14) also finished with commendable performances. Leona Melville proved the strongest of the U13 girls with a fine effort of exactly eight minutes leading in Leah Brown (8.38), Brogan MacMillan (8.47), Caitlin Bradwell (8.53), Scarlett Roy (9.10) and Isabel McGuire (10.00).
The U11 girls proved to be a competitive age group with Niamh McKinlay prevailing in 8.02 from Leya Gibb’s 8.09 effort. Emma Anderson (9.10) was again to the fore leading in more fine runs from Fia Watkin (9.38), Sienna Shepherd (9.42), Connie Bateman (9.45) and Dara Clark (9.50). The U9 girls were led home by Hannah Inman’s strong 10.01 effort while Eilidh Connor (11.10) and Alexandra Montgomery (11.36) should both be more than satisfied with their runs.
Thanks are again due to Derek Easton, Raymond Milne, David Eckersley, Sean Scott and the small army of helpers who provided another excellent event on behalf of Central AC.