EKAC youngsters reap rewards in road races
East Kilbride Athletics Club took an individual gold and two team bronze medals from the TruWealthRoad Young Athletes Road Races in Greenock this month.
Angus Wilkinson won the under-13 boys’ 3km race, while the under-13 boys’ team of Angus, Rory Charters and Ben Baillie, and the under-15 girls’ team of Rhianna Docherty, Aimee Anderson and Amy Andrew both won bronze.
Club president and coach Gordon Colvin says it has been a good season for the club and for Angus Wilkinson in particular.
He said: “We had a gold individual and two bronze team medals.
“We had quite a lot of other good results, I think we had six people in the top 10 over the six races, and 10 in the top 20, so good results overall.
“We’re having a good season so far, it has been coming for a little while.
“We have some really good groups, with lots of young athletes training with each other and pushing each other on.
“It goes back to December at the Western Districts Cross Country Championships in Balloch, Angus Wilkinson won the under-13 boys’ race.
“We had quite a few others who ran well and won team medals, and that was the West of Scotland.
“We then had the Lanarkshire Cross Country Championships in February and quite a few young athletes won medals there as well.
“At the Scottish Cross Country Championships Angus again won the gold medal, so he has done fantastically well this season.”
Gordon says Angus has started winning medals at the first level he is able to, and hopes that inspires other youngsters.
He said: “At the under-13 age group, which is the first age group where you have Scottish Championships, Angus has won just about everything he has entered.
“He is certain to motivate other young athletes and they’re producing performances as well, so it’s great for them all.
“They’re such a good group of kids and they have some fantastic coaches.
“We hope to build on this for the rest of the year, as we transition from the road and cross country season, particularly for the kids who are moving on to the track season.”