Seniors & U20s
Stirling Marathon winner Michael Wright continued his successful streak as he returned to the track to lead Central ACs gold medal rush at the East of Scotland championships at Grangemouth at the weekend.
Just weeks after claiming victory in the Stirling Marathon, the 31 year-old took gold in the 3000m steeplechase by leading from the start and pulling away from the opposition over the last laps to win the title by 18 seconds in a season’s best 9:52.87.
Amy Gullen was also on winning form in the high jump. The 19 year-old from Muckhart has won numerous titles in the age groups but this was her first senior title.
She was also well within herself clearing 1.62m at the first attempt but after some close attempts found 1.67m just beyond her. After a 1.65m clearance the week before she feels the big jump is just around the corner and that she can finally improve on her club record of 1.68m she jumped when she was 15.
At the other end of the age scale Ron Todd showed he can still win senior titles well into his Masters years after taking gold in the pole vault. Ron, who has competed for Central AC for many years, had first time clearances at 3.10m then 3.30m. He then thought he had cleared 3.50m only for the bar he brushed to topple off after he landed on the mat. Ron went onto to add discus silver with 29.68m, an event in which he has held the club senior record since 1982 with 39.46m.
Central’s under 20 contingent were busy with Matt Chandler making final preparations for the UK Decathlon Championships in two weeks’time. Matt has already claimed the club junior pole vault record this season but decided to practice some less familiar events for him. He started with a personal best in the discus throwing 31.87m for fourth after 6.09m in the long jump and 12.24 at 100m. He will look to improve on those in Bedford in a fortnight.
In the sprints Andrew Sweeney was just out of the medals in the under 20 200m running a season’s best 23.23, narrowly missing his personal best. It was good to see Andrew back in his first championship in over a year after an injury lay off.
He was joined in the final by Kieran Halliday who ran a season’s best 23.81 after earlier running a season’s best 11.89 for 100m.
Lauren McCullough opened her season at 1500m with 5:01.96 for a respectable seventh.