BRIGHT SUN, DAZZLING RUNNING from all our squads at the National XC, with four team golds two team silvers plus individual gold, silver and bronze. Hats off to everyone who turned out in amber and royal, you all helped deliver another memorable day for the club against Scotland’s best.
U13 Girls were first out on the rolling twisting course, and conjured up team gold on count-back on equal points from Dundee Hawkhill. Good work, Erika Tait, Eve Cameron , Megan Jackson and Eilidh Brown, as well as Chloe Simpson, in ahead of Dundee’s fifth finisher, to emphasise the squad’s grip on the crown.
Our U13 Boys matched the girls with gold of their own: get on that podium, Evan Tyler, Donald MacInnes, Ewan Kennedy and Sam Deery, who rose from a muddy fall to battle on for the team.
The U15 Girls were squeezed into second by Lasswade in a team race as tight as two coats of paint: Holly Simpson (ind third), Amy Gallagher, Isabella Wilson and Millie Boothman did the business on count-back from Harmeny. Lasswade won by one point. Special mention to Nicole Yates who came home ahead of Harmeny’s fifth counter.
Callum Dick took a hard won individual U15 silver over 4.3k, leading Aaron Reid, Finlay Laskey and Cameron Nugent to team silver behind Falkirk Victoria.
U17 gents Craig Shennan, Jamie Connor, Alasdair Nugent and Jack Wallace stormed to a dominant win for the club, in first, fifth, sixth and eighth after a tough 6.4K. Craig has now won the National XC at U13, U15 and U17.
Ruth Walsh claimed a superb individual silver in the U17s, leading Scarlett Wilson and Freya Campbell to the team title after their 6.4k.
Glen Griffiths and Matthew Knak flew the flag for our U20 Men with highly respectable 10th and 14th places over 6.8k.
Emma McLennan, Ella Youngs and Kiara Meiklejohn went within an agonising two points of a team bronze in the U20 Women’s event, edged by a University triumvirate of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde.
Fourth was also the tough number for Men’s Senior Duncan Robinson over 10k, after a brilliant effort against top-class opposition, hanging in the pack before fighting it out on the last lap to bring home one of our best ever senior placings. Men’s team were eleventh, again one of our best results.
The Senior Ladies finished a fine seventh, led home by Emma Creasey in 20th, ably backed by Yvonne McNairn, Jill Smylie, Catriona Bark, Nicola McBeath and Jacqueline Campbell.
Big thanks to all who ran, coached, tent wrangled, supported, cheered, clapped, consoled and fed me doughnuts, creme eggs and cheesy chips. Some day. Some team.
Report by Croy Thomson
Photos by Bobby Gavin