The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Rees aims for classy double in schools bid
Banchory runner is targeting two sprints records
Banchory Academy’s Alisha Rees has her sights set on two records this weekend when she defends her 100m and 200m titles in the Scottish schools athletics championships at Grangemouth.
The 16-year-old Scotland senior international is expected to challenge the under-17 schools championship 100m best of 12.00 set by SheilaPringle (GalashielsAcademy) in 1970 and the 200m record of 24.4 set by Kathleen Lithgow (Dumfries High) in 1988.
Rees has already run quicker in other competitions, although her fastest 100m performance, 11.55, was wind assisted. While the records would be a fine achievement, Rees’ primary target is winning the races.
She said: “I'd like to win and I think I'm capable of getting the records, especially the 200m. My training hasbeengoing wellandI'm looking forward to competing this weekend and again the following weekend in the English age-group championships at Bedford.”
Mackie Academy's Kelsey Stewart, 18, is also on the record trail as she makes her final appearance in the schools championships.
The sixth-year pupil, who is also a senior Scotland international, will run in the 400m aiming to eclipse the championship best of 55.99 set by Inverness athlete Lesley Clarkson 15 years ago.
Stewart's personal best is 54.83, set last year, so she is more than capable of making her mark.
George Evans (Inverness Harriers) will be hoping to maintain his fine discus form. Last weekend the 17-year-old Scottish champion threw 61.24 metres to exceed the qualifying standard required for July's world youth championships in Colombia and September's Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.
The McFarlane family, from Inverness, will also be aiming to add to their medal haul this season. Brothers Daniel, Andrew, Reuben and Gabriel grabbed 11 medals between them in the various agegroup events at the Scottish North District championships lastmonth. They gathered a further eight medals at the North of Scotland schools championships this month.
Lochaber AAC's Finlay Wild is oneof the favourites towinthe Scottish athletics hill running title when he competes in the Durisdeer race at Thornhill in Dumfriesshire tomorrow.
The five-times Ben Nevis race winner faces some strong opposition from south of the border, however, as the race doubles up as a British championship series match.
Arecord entry of close to400runners will take part and other north athletes will hope to be in contention for Scottish championship medals. Kyle Greig (ForresHarriers) is getting back to form and could be in the hunt, while Aberdeen runners Ben Hukins (Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers) and Oleg Chepelin (Shettleston Harriers) should also be well placed.
Ballater's Clare Whitehead (DeesideRunners) should put in a strong performance in the women's race. RonGauldisdeterminedto defend his title in Sunday's CETCO Ythan Challenge adventure race at Ellon, despite missing more than three months of training because of an ankle injury.
The Stonehaven Running Club member will line-up against 700 rivals in the popular race held over an obstacle-strewn 11km course which starts and finishes at the Meadows sports complex and follows a mainly traffic-free route along the banks of the river Ythan and through the Esslemont estate.
Gauld will face some familiar opposition on Sunday asMetro Aberdeen duo Tom Brian and Barry Gibson, who finished second and third respectively in 2014, will be back again.
The Aberdeen men have been running well recently. Brian has recovered from making his marathon debut in Boston in April and will be hoping to put in a strong performance.
Gibson is on a high after winning the Fraserburgh 10km and setting a personal best time in the Edinburgh halfmarathona fortnight ago.
They'll be joined by clubmate Graham Mcfarlane, who was over-40 age group winner and sixth overall last year, in a strong Metro side aiming to retain the team title.
TheMetro squad also includes three-time previous race winner Rob Taylor whose ambition on this occasion will be to challenge for the over-50 age group title won last year by David Ewen. Mike Stewart (Keith and District), winner in 2005 and 2006, is also in the field.
Edinburgh's Vicky Bailie, winner of the women's prize for the past four years, is an absentee as she is awaiting the birth of her first child.
That could open the door for Fraserburgh's Lisa Stephen who has come close to winning on a number of occasions in recent years. The Broch athlete finished fourth in 2009, third in 2013 and was runnerup last year and in 2011.
Stephen's rivals include Garioch's Tammy Wilson who got the better of the Broch runner in last month'sFraserburgh10km. Wilson, who won the Aviemore and Crathes half marathons last year, has only recently returned to action following a lengthy injury lay-off. She was runner-up in the 2013 Ythan Challenge.
Other contenders include Stephen's Fraserburgh clubmates Gillian Cardno-StrachanandCarol Massie while Peterhead's Leigh Strachan and Inverurie's Colleen Black will also be aiming to emulate their top six finishes from last year.
Ellon's Donna Gray, who won the women's race in 2007 and was seventh last year, also plans to compete while veteran Aberdeen runner Rhona Buchan, a former Highland Cross duathlon champion, should also be well placed.
Aberdeen AAC's Carly McNeil is another athlete who should feature strongly while her clubmate Sinead Stenhouse, fifth overall in 2014, defends the veteran women's crown. Peterhead's Isabel Stuart, ninth last year, bids to retain the super veteran age group title.
“Brian has recovered from his marathon debut in Boston”