Four new records at Argyll Sports Hall Athletics final
THERE was an entry of just over 100 young athletes at the Argyll final of Sports Hall Athletics held at Atlantis Leisure in Oban last Sunday. The final was the last in a series of five competitions held in Argyll over the winter months promoted by Mid Argyll Athletic Club.
During almost five hours of intense competition four Argyll age records were broken and one equalled. Young athletes from the Oban area and Kintyre mainly dominating in the boys’ events and Mull and Mid Argyll were to the fore in the girls’ events.
The top performance of the day was arguably by Jodie Robertson from Ardrishaig, who was the under 17 champion, breaking the Argyll age record in two events and was also close to breaking the record of 1.52m in the high jump when she made a good attempt to clear 1.55m. Earlier in the day Jodie broke the record set in 1996 in the standing long jump clearing 2.33m and then went on to break a more recent record by 5cm in the standing triple jump reaching out to 7.03m.
Twin sisters Jemma and Jorja MacDonald from Lochgilphead were the other record breakers competing in the under-9 age group. Jemma was the champion but only two points ahead of her sister. Jemma won four events and excelled in the triple jump setting a new Argyll age record with her 5.11m leap. Jemma won the two-lap race and later won the high jump and long jump coming very close to the age records in both these events. Jorja won the speed bounce and the javelin, throwing 15.25m and adding almost two metres to the Argyll age record. In the same age category, newcomer Eleni Pistonas from Skipness won the four-lap race in 60.5seconds.
Mull girls from Salen Primary won both the under-7 and under-11 contests. Sienna Munro was the under-7 champion winning three of the six events. Sienna won the two-lap race, speed bounce and triple jump.
In the same contest runner-up Emma Innes from Lochgilphead won the long jump with Carla Renton from Castlehill winning the javelin and Neve Bowden from Lochgilphead was the winner in the four-lap race.
Ellen MacRae from Salen was the under-9 champion last year and succeeded in winning the under-11 contest on Sunday.
This was a very competitive age group and Ellen’s dominance in the running events ensured overall victory. Ellen won the two-lap race in 25.3 which was only a fifth of a second slower than the record and then the four-lap race in 56.1 seconds. Mia Campbell from St Columba’s was runner-up just ahead of Violet Campbell from Castlehill in Campbeltown. Mia won the javelin with a 14.50m throw and Violet won both the long jump and triple jump. Other event winners in this section were Nicola Duncan from Park in the speed bounce and Ruby-Jo Philips from Glassary Primary in Mid Argyll won the high jump.
Kirstin Blair from Crinan was the under-13 winner just ahead of another Mid Argyll girl, Izzy Crawford from Furnace, with Anna Gemmill from Carradale third on points. Kirstin excelled in winning the high jump and both the long and triple jumps and shared first place in the speed bounce with Eilidh Cameron from Inveraray. Izzy impressed in winning both the two-lap and four-lap races and was not too far off the record in the shorter event. Anna Gemmill was the winner in the shot putt.
Abbie Cato from Fionnphort was the under-15 champion ahead of two girls from Ardrishaig, Karis Kidd in second place and Hazel Selfridge in third. Abbie impressed by winning all her events.
Lewis Cattanach from Tobermory won three events to ensure being under-7 champion ahead of Ethan Kerr from Tighnabruaich. Lewis won the long and triple jumps and speed bounce and Ethan impressed in winning the four-lap race in 65.4 which was only 0.2 of a second slower than the age record. Kian Gibson from Salen primary and Riley Anderson from Rockfield shared third place on overall points. Riley won the two-lap race and javelin.
Jack Green, from Dalintober primary in Campbeltown, won the under-9s, winning both running events in addition to the long and triple jumps. Jack was the under-7 champion in 2017 and did well to repeat his success in the older age group.
Jack’s mother (then Laura Paterson from Carradale) was the under-9 Argyll champion in 1994, which was the first year the indoor competitions were held in Argyll. Runner-up Marco MacGregor from Rockfield won the high jump clearing 1.12m and shared first place in the speed bounce with Ryan Johnstone from Castlehill. Conan Burns from St Columba’s won the javelin in this age group with 15.25metres.
The under-11 boys contest could not have been closer with only half a point between first and second and the same margin between second and third.
Jacques Coates from Park won overall ahead of George Pagan from Rockfield with Oliver Reid from Dalintober in third pace.
George won the two running events in 25 seconds and 55.3 respectively and also the high jump at the end of the afternoon.
George cleared 1.30m which equalled the Argyll age record set by another Oban boy Scott Black in 2010. Jacques Coates won the speed bounce and placed highly in all the other events while Oliver Reid won the triple jump. Rockfield boys James Muir won the javelin and Rhys Millar won the long jump.
Lewis Gilchrist from Rhunahaorine primary in Kintyre was the winner of the under 11s with success in five out of the seven events. Lewis won both running events and the long and triple jumps and also the shot putt. Runner-up Murray MacDonald from Lochgilphead won the speed bounce and third placed Finlay MacLean from Oban won the high jump. Fraser Inglis from Oban won the under-15 contest and Shaun Doy from Lochgilphead was the under-17 champion..
The organisers wish to thank all the young athletes and parents for supporting all the local competitions and the Argyll final last Sunday.