Titles galore for busy Central AC
Central AC had a busy weekend both on the country and the award stage.
Two athletes excelled in the UK cross country trials in Liverpool and the club also won the Off-Track Club of the Year title at the annual Scottishathletics awards dinner. Showing how that award was worthy was down to the club at the second match of the East of Scotland Cross Country League at a dreich Broxburn where the Senior men took top team slot.
Central’s Senior Men were well supported with another top class run by Alastair Hay in sixth, covering the 8.1 kilometre, three lap course in 28.10, followed in by Matthew Sutherland in seventh with a strong run of 28.19.
Ross Houston’s return helped the team performance, finishing in 28.42 for eleventh heading in the overall first Master runner Scott Brember, in twelfth overall (28.50). Robert Russell made an all too infrequent appearance to finish 18th (29.29) while Luca Fanottoli rounded off Central’s scoring six in 20th with 29.37.
Telfer Gray was the first of Central’s Under 20 runners (24th; 29.42) in third Junior spot while another Under 20, Aiden Shea, showed his value to the team finishing 47th (31.00).
Will Hensman led home the remainder of the Masters runners (64th; 31.56) while Donald Shaw (118th; 34.16) put in another strong performance ahead of Alan Hume (123rd; 34.30).
It was a happy return to racing from a spell off with injury, for Morag Millar who put in good run for second place with her 21.40 timing.
Lauren McCulloch was also pleased to put in a strong race with her fifth place in 22.02.
The combined under 15/under 17 females race featured another strong squad. Grace Tindall produced a top class performance with her sixth place in 16.38, Summer Maclean continued to show promise with tenth in 16.50 followed by strong showings throughout by Amy Cully (14th,17.06), Mirren Henry (18th, 17.16), Catriona Kane (23rd,17.42), Anna MacKinnon (26th, 17.49), Heidi Eik-Maxwell (47th, 19.46) and Zosia Padden (50th, 19.53) enabled the squad to take second team placing.
Sam Grivell was Central’s sole runner in the Under 17 Mens race and did well to finish in the top half of the race in thirteenth recording 20.58.
Connor Bell was always to the fore in the Under 15 Boys race finishing second in 14.10.
In the under 13 Girls race, Niamh McKinlay (36th, 12.25) and Leah Brown (44th, 12.44) ran creditable races and in Under 11 girls races Dara Clark (19th, 6.32), Fia Watkin (21st, 6.36) and Ciara Middleton (33rd, 6.57) produced a great performance to finish seventh for team.
The Under 13 Boys finished first through Joshua Kennedy (sixth; 10.19), Aaron Middleton (ninth; 10.22), and Jamie Oldham (19th; 10.53).
The Under 11 Boys finished seventh team through the efforts of Finlay MacGregor (24th; 5.57), Joel Gilan (29th; 6.09), Jake Drummond (39th; 6.09) and Gabriel Stewart (72nd; 8.07).
The UK trials for the forthcoming in European Championships in Lisbon were held as part of the UK Cross Country Challenge in Liverpool. Hamish Hickey finished in eighth placein the Men’s U20 race and Jamie Crowe took fifth place in the Senior Men’s race and both will await selection decisions. Cameron Kerr ran in the Under 15 Boys race coming home in a more than worthy 30th place in a field of over 150 runners.