Central men are champs again
Central AC’s senior men took top honours at the final match of the East District Cross Country League at Deans Country Park in Livingston on Saturady.
Hamish Hickey enjoyed the almost perfect conditions to lead a strong team to victory on the day, as they clinched the League title for the 10th time.
As always the day began with the Under 11 races with both the girls and boys facing 1.6km runs. Finlay MacGregor (23rd; 6.51), Jake Drummond (25th; 6.52) and Joel Gillan (26th; 6.53) with essential back-up from Logan Bell (57th; 7.54) saw the boys finish fifth team on the day. Cuara Middleton was the sole Central girl runner with a fine 29th place in a time of 7.38.
The Under 13 girls and boys had a full 3.2km lap of the course to negotiate. In the boys race Aaron Middleton finished ninth in 12.01 and with further good runs from Joshua Kennedy (24th; 12.44), Henry Crossley (48th; 13.53) and Alex Dunlop (49th; 14.03) the Central team finished sixth on the day and an excellent third placing for the season. For the girls, Leah Brown ran well to take 44th place with 15.04.
Connor Bell, fresh from his quality run the previous weekend, always looked in control of the 4km Under 15 Boys race coming home for an emphatic victory with 13.39. Euan Docherty had another strong run to finish 21st (15.35). For the combined U15/U17 girls/ladies race, a fourth team place both on the day and over the season was achieved by some strong running by Summer McLean (12th; 16.28), Catriona Kane (13th; 16.39), Mirren Henry (20th; 17.24), Anna McKinnon (23rd; 17.41), Zosia Padden (33rd; 18.48), Leona Melville (40th; 19.32) and Heidi EikMaxwell (45th; 19.52).
Sam Grivell may have been the only Under 17 man to tackle the 6.4km two-lap course but he showed continued improvement to finish 13th with a useful 24.38 timing.
It was Under 20 runner Hamish Hickey who showed his strength and confidence to become the latest Central AC athlete to win an East District League race, completing the 9.6km three-lap course in 31.08. Alastair Hay produced a sterling performance in fourth overall (31.30) and with back-up from Dale Colley (8th; 31.53), Matthew Sutherland (11th; 32.12), Michael Wright (12th; 32.26) and Under 20 runner Ben MacMillan (13th; 32.28), Central again took team honours and lifted the Senior Mens Team Trophy for the season.
The essential back-up came from the top two Masters runners on the day - Ross Houston (15th; 32.40) and Scott Brember (19th; 32.58) while there were further top performances from Robert Russell (25th; 33.29), Luca Fanottoli (26th; 33.34) and Under 20 Telfer Gray (36th; 34.12).
David Eckersley (99th; 38.37) showed great concentration throughout to complete
Central’s Masters team who gained second place and led home more solid performances from Donald Shaw (103rd 38.48), Alan Hume (120th; 39.49), Ross McNaught (129th; 40.14), Tal Eidi (140th; 40.37), Iain Dunsmore (150th; 41.02) and Jens Subke (157th; 41.27).
Charles Graham-Marr (169th; 42.08) stuck well to the task as did the remaining Central runners Hugh Buchanan (186th; 43.10), Colin Alexander (191st; 43.23), Roger Greenaway (211th; 45.21), Liam McCabe (218th; 36.17), Ben Noad (229th; 47.22), Allan Gall (243rd; 48.33), Colin Sinclair (251st; 49.46) and Cameron Campbell (257th; 50.17) as some 27 Central runners finished the Senior Mens race making up a tenth of the total field.
In the senior women’s race over 6.4km, Catriona Buchanan led her team in with a fine 13th place in 25.24, supported by Claire Houston (26th; 26.47), Mandy Williams (29th; 27.39), Hazel Dean (58th; 29.48) and Jane Waterhouse (104th; 32.49) finishing the season in fourth place.