On Sunday 26th January 24 of our finest young athletes competed in running, throwing & jumping at the Scottish National SUPERteams competition in the Emirates.
The atmosphere was exciting and fun but it was a long day for everyone involved! This is a competition where teams of four athletes compete over a 60m sprint, long jump, shot putt and 4 x 200m relay, earning points for their performances. SUPERteams is an event for U12 athletes (aligning with the IAAF Age groups in athletics, which we will soon be moving to).
Despite the long day, our junior athletes didn’t show any sign of being tired and gave their all in the relays at the end. Our teams excelled in the relays to the delight of parents, team managers and supporters.
It was fantastic to see Giffnock North teams on the top of the podium – both the girls and the boys – and we were just as impressed with the efforts of all our athletes, some competing for the club for the very first time, overcoming all those nerves to put their foot on the start line. When we would often be saying “what a team”, we were saying that about all six teams!
A word on the officials at this event. They were, as ever, superb. They clearly enjoy this competition and they displayed that in all their encounters with the young athletes, supporting them through every aspect of the competition. What a great introduction to competing in athletics they provided. Our thanks and appreciation go to all of them and also to the Scottish Athletics Events staff whose organisation of the SUPERteams is paramount – from the enjoyment of the athletes to the exceptionally slick operation it was and the overall success.
A massive thank you to our team managers Sabrina Chalmers, Alix Drever, Katie Phee, Joanne Rhicard, Gordon Schmidt, and Laura Tyler & Paul.
Congratulations to everyone who participated and a special mention to the teams on the podium with the trophies : Violet, Alexandra, Amitris & Isabella and Callum, Rory, Adam & Riley.
A special mention to Lucia who, recovering from an injury, stepped in at the very last moment to ensure we had a complete C team and no disappointed team mates!
Thanks also to our own Club official Craig Fotheringham, who provided additional support to the athletes over the day and also took some of the great photos we have seen on our social media and Scottish Athletics.
It was a fantastic day and a great introduction to competing for our fine young athletes.
Some quotes from our athletes:
“I really liked running at the Emirates stadium on the weekend. It was very fun and a good experience for my running.” Lucia Fernandez McCann“The whole day was really fun I had a great team and all the coaches were so nice!” Kate Cameron
“It was a great day, I enjoyed hanging out with new friends and trying different events. Winning was a bonus too!” Cameron Edgar
| Our athletes: | |
|---|---|
| Violet Drever | Callum Edgar |
| Isabella Mackenzie | Rory Gallacher |
| Amitris Rahmani | Adam Rai |
| Alexandra Rough | Riley Rhicard |
| Alexandria Birnie | Samuel Church |
| Iona Hannigan | Fielder Cunningham Schmidt |
| Wren Joshi | Kyle Hartley |
| Maisie Robertson | Nihal Lindsay |
| Kate Cameron | Cameron Brown |
| Olive Drever | Cameron Chalmers |
| Lucia Fernandes McCann | Lachlan Greenhaugh |
| Elsie Tyler | Finlay Moir |