Laura leads the way for easy win
Scots star anchors team to success
JANUARY-FEBRUARY Scottish track star Laura Muir was the big draw when Stirling played host to the SimplyHealth Great Stirling XCountry and Great Stirling Castle Run in January.
Her fans came to cheer her to victory at the prestigious event in King’s Park and she didn’t disappoint them.
Professional athletes from around the world battled it out in the XCountry event only a chilly January day with Team GB and Northern Ireland taking on Europe and the USA in a thrilling team competition.
The mixed relay was the one the thousands of spectators were looking forward to with European 1500m champion Laura Muir running the anchor leg.
In the end, Team GB and NI dominated with Jamie Willamson making a strong start and Alex Bell and Philip Sesseman putting in great performances to leave Laura well clear. The crowd were cheering her home well before the finish line.
Stirling Albion had five wins and a draw before three straight losses to Elgin City, Peterhead and Clyde hit their playoff hopes. The wins, however, saw Peter MacDonald win Player of the Month for January after he scored five goals including a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Albion Rovers.
Andy Murray’s injury worries continued. He played at Brisbane in his first tournament since September then at the Australian Open he came back from two sets down only to lose to Roberto Bautista Agut in the final set.
That loss prompted tears afterwards, then a hip operation which he hoped would help him cope with everyday life and a possible retirement at Wimbledon.
Big brother Jamie lost in the quarterfinals of the doubles and mixed doubles with Brazil’s Bruno Soares and USA’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Stirling County’s Scottish Cup hopes ended against Hawick but wins in the league against the Greens and Boroughmuir kept them comfortably in mid-table in the Tennent’s Premiership.
Bannockburn registered one of their biggest ever wins when they ran in 17 tries against Glenrothes 2nds in a 111-10 win in Tennent’s Caledonia Midlands Division 4.
In amateur football, Milton and Bannockburn exited the Scottish Amateur Cup to Alba Thistle and Colville Park East respectively but in the East of Scotland and West of Scotland Cups, a number of local sides were still going strong.
Bannocburn carried the flag in the West while Doune Castle, Callander Thistle and Fallin were in the East at the quarter-final stage with the latter going out after extra-time on penalties.
Central AC had a successful start to the year both outdoors and indoors.
At the Scottish Inter-District Cross
Country race held at the King’s Park as part of the Great Stirling run event, Alastair Hay and Morag Millar collected individual silver medals.
Team-mate Scott Brember won the Scottish Masters Cross Country Championship and the senior men’s team made it nine-in-a-row in the National Cross Country Championships.
Inside at the Scottish Indoor Age Group Championships, Scott Hopper and Dorottya Csuta landed top honours in the Under 15 shot putt and 1500m respectively.
In orienteering, Forth Valley Orienteers clocked up seven wins at the Scottish Night Championships.
Squash starlet Rowan Niven became the Under 15 Girls champion.