Harriers clinch the trophy for 21st time
Cambuslang club’s cross county win
Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers retained the AT Mays Trophy for the 21st time in the club’s history.
The prize is awarded annually to the top performing male club across the five different age groups in the Scottish Cross Country Championships that took place earlier this month.
This was the fifth consecutive award of this trophy to the club and Cambuslang have now claimed the award on 21 out of a possible 28 occasions.
Pride of place at the championship went to the u17 boys who won team gold thanks to the sterling efforts of Struan Paton, Gavin Smith, Joshua Boyle and Eamon Carr.
President David Cooney said: “This is an outstanding and perhaps unheralded achievement and one which all the runners, coaches, officials, parents and supporters can be proud of.”
Both the u15 boys and u20 men also performed well to lift bronze team medals. The four counters for the u15 team were Christopher McLew, Drew Pollock, Ryan Stephen and Ruairidh MacGregor. Ryan Thomson, who was just outside the medals in fourth place, led home his fellow u20 team mates Craig Jardine, Ross Stephen and Scott Sommerville .
Cambuslang’s senior and veteran men, with a number of absences due to work commitments and injury, finished a solid fourth. Robert Gilroy, Iain Reid, Jamie Reid, Willie MacRury, Kenny Campbell and Ben Hukins were the six counting runners with another 21 club athletes backing them up. In the opening race of the day the u13 boys finished a respectable eighth due to the efforts of Michael Black, Sean Friel, Arron Grew and Robbie Woods.
There were also some good performances by the club’s ladies. Eve Mackinnon was a close fifth and only 10 seconds away from a bronze medal in the u20 ladies race while Sarah Benson, just 11 months after giving birth, finished an excellent 12th. She had good support from Alex Lamond, Kirsty Anderson and Jennifer Reid of the senior ladies who achieved eighth place for their best ever finishing position.
Niamh Riggins led the u13 girls team of Carla Fay, Shona Carey and Chloe Burton home in 13th place while the club’s three u15 girls were Christie Dalgleish, Lauren McEwan and Katie Moss.
David Cooney added: “Many thanks are due to the club’s coaches for their hard work throughout the year in all weathers and to all the supporters on the day who offered their encouragement to the athletes.”