Scotland selections for Liverpool XC

Thursday 19th November 2015

Liverpool 2014 – a great battle saw Callum Hawkins and Andrew Butchart finish 1-2 (photo by Gus Oakley)

A number of top Scottish athletes are heading to the British Cross Challenge in Liverpool at the end of the month for the Euro Cross trial event.

And no fewer than 22 will do so with backing and support from scottishathletics – as Scotland selections for the event on Merseyside on Saturday 28 November.

The races that day determine who features for Team GB and NI in the south of France in December and hopefully many of those Scots involved will have strong hopes of winning GB vests.

Andrew Butchart heads the contingent of a dozen men with four Seniors, four at U23s and four U20 – including Jonny Glen and Euan Gillham, who won GB honours in cross country at U20 last season.

There’s a good representation for Central AC on the men’s side as Butchart is joined by Alastair Hay, Dale Colley and Aidan Thompson.

Laura Muir returns to Liverpool and is eligible at the U23 category where Rhona Auckland claimed the Euro Cross title last year. Auckland is concentrating on the NCAA finals in Kentucky for the moment and will not compete in Liverpool.

Scotland selections are based upon the policy outlined by the Road Running and Cross Country Commission for such events and that document is online on this website. For Liverpool, the policy allows for up to four athletes in each of the three age groups.

RRCC Selection 2015-16

For the Senior athletes involved, there’s is a chance to gather points for the Scottish XC Grand Prix, which takes in six events and began at Bellahouston with the 4K races.

Congratulations from all at scottishathletics to those picked for support at this event, where of course Sscotland do not compete as a team as such. Central AC and Edinburgh AC are competing for places as Britain’s representatives at the Euro Clubs Cross event early in 2016.

Here are the Scotland selections:

Senior Men:

Andrew Butchart, Alastair Hay (both Central AC); Luke Caldwell (Dorking and Mole Valley); Tewolde Mengisteab (Shettleston Harriers)

U23 Men:

Ben Stevenson (Falkirk Vics); Michael Ferguson (Aberdeen AAC); Luke Traynor (Giffnock North AAC); Dale Colley (Central AC)

U20 Men:

Jonny Glen (Inverclyde AC); Euan Gillham (Kilbarchan AAC), Aidan Thompson (Central AC); Ryan Thomson (Ronhill Cambuslang)

Senior Women:

Steph Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District); Sarah Inglis (Lothian RC); Beth Potter (VP-Glasgow); Rosie Smith (Hunters Bog Trotters)

U23 Women:

Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers); Maddie Murray (Edinburgh AC); Steph Pennycook (Edinburgh Uni Hares and Hounds); Mhairi Maclennan (Edinburgh Uni Hares and Hounds)

U20 Women:

Gillian Black (VP-Glasgow); Annabel Simpson (Fife AC)