Dunfermline Track & Field athletes conclude tough first top-flight league campaign in Glasgow

A TOUGH season for Dunfermline Track and Field athletes in the Central and South Scotland Athletics League came to a conclusion recently with its third and final match.

Being held for the first time in two years, it was the club’s first campaign in the top division, following promotion in 2019, but athlete availability, and the distances required to travel for two matches in Kilmarnock, and the final fixture in Glasgow, played its part.

In the opening two, there were a number of good results and performances, including several podiums across the A- and B-string events.

Among those were wins for Amy Jenkinson in the under-15 girls’ 100 metres, 75m hurdles and high jump; Kirstin Penman in the under-17 girls’ 300m ‘B’ race, 80m hurdles, long jump and high jump; Sophie Thomas in the under-15 girls’ 200m; Charlie Hunter, who also scooped a third in javelin, in the under-13 boys’ 70m hurdles; Callum Newton, who also took third in the 400m, in the under-17 boys’ high jump and long jump; Shayna Asamoah in the under-17 girls’ 200m; Darcie Black, who also enjoyed a third place in the under-17 girls’ 100m; in the long jump and 80m hurdles; David Cuthbert, who also finished second in the ‘B’ long jump in the under-17 boys’ 800m ‘B’ race; and Ellie Candlish in the under-17 girls’ high jump.

Other top three performances across the first two fixtures included Poppy Warner finishing second in the under-13 girls’ ‘B’ race; Ruby Candlish placing third in the under-15 girls’ 800m; Brook Ferguson, who was third in the under-17 boys’ 80m hurdles; and Alistair Rimmer, who was third in the under-13 boys’ javelin B-string. Many of those efforts also yielded new personal bests, and there were more fine efforts in the final match, despite the club sitting at the foot of the table.

In the under-11 age group, Evanne Carson was first in the 80m B-string, with Jaden Mackay, who was also fourth in the ‘A’ long jump, taking third for the boys with a PB; Kelseigh Wilson netting two ‘A’ fifth places in the 80m and long jump; and her sister, Paige, producing a PB of 2.81m to finish fourth in the B-string long jump.

Briony Argo was the standout performer in the under13s age group, winning the 800m B-string, before finishing fourth in the long jump with a PB of 3.29m, while there was a fourth place in the 100m ‘A’ race for Lottie Thomas; a 3.90m shot put for Lily Pritchard; and an 800m ‘A’ sixth place for Caitlin Chalmers.

Sophie Thomas, in the under-15 category, won the 100m A-string with a PB of 12.19 seconds, and added a fourth place in the long jump, while Milly MacKenzie, with a PB of 14.01, finished third in the ‘B’ race, as well as securing bests of 3.49m and 4.68m respectively on her way to fifth places in the ‘B’ long jump and shot put.

Caleb Munro was the only boy in the under-15s, earning fifth places in the high jump and long jump, while Shayna Asamoah notched a 100m under-17 girls’ ‘A’ victory.

Darcie Black won the Bstring, before finishing second in the ‘A’ high jump and shot put, while Kirsten Penman was first in the ‘B’ high jump, and second in both the shot put and 300m.