Age Group Champs review

Monday 22nd August 2016

Results from Saturday and Sunday at Grangemouth

Scottish titles, PBs and podium places were the order of the day at another successful Age Group Champs over the weekend.

This year, we combined the U20, U15 and U13 championships over two days with the U17s removed now to join the Seniors to help with the schedule.

The format seemed to work with a good atmosphere at Grangemouth on both weekends and good entry figures across the Age Group Champs.

Medals were as keenly contested as ever and once again the nationwide element of the Age Groups was emphasised with the range of clubs in evidence.

‘The entry numbers were high again for the Age Groups and that is testimony to the clubs and coaches who continue to provide great opportunities for the athletes to train and compete across the country on a weekly basis,’ said Mark Munro, interim Chief Executive of scottishathletics.

‘It was great to see so many clubs represented from the North of Scotland, particularly those making the trip from the islands and from Caithness. That was a big effort for those people specifically but we thank each and every athlete who puts themselves forward to compete at the National Championships.

Ultimately, athletics is about competition and I am sure we will see that looking ahead to the winter in cross country and the Indoor Season.

‘Finally, as we reflect on the Age Groups, we say a huge thank you to our scottishathletics Officials. The weather wasn’t the best at times over the past weekend but once again they put in a big shift in order for us to stage National championships and I am sure that’s appreciated by athletes and coaches.

‘I’d like to also thank the Track and Field Commission and the Officials Commission for their contributions to the summer season.’

Photos from Sunday on Facebook by Bobby Gavin

Photos from Saturday on Facebook by Bobby Gavin

With medallists over the weekend from the likes of Chirnside Chasers in the Borders, Inverness Harriers, Argyll AC, Elgin and many others, there’s far more to athletics in Scotland than the central-belt focus.

In performance terms, we have a communications policy of not ‘going overboard’ about athletes under the age of around 16 – but nonetheless it was great to see the commitment from our younger athletes in the U13 and U15 age brackets. In fact, in the U15 Age Groups, there were a couple of Championship Best performances.

But our main focus is on the U20s and among those to impress there were the likes of Kilbarchan AAC’s Jemma Reekie, with a hard-earned 1500m and 800m double, combined event athlete Howard Bell of Edinburgh AC with a sprint hurdles and long jump double, and East Kilbride AC’s Greg Kelly with a 100, 200 double.

GB Junior Jenna Wrisberg (Giffnock North) defended her U20 title from 2015, Aberdeen AAC’s Kelsey Stewart doing likewise in the 400m. There was a Perth Strathtay endurance double as Sol Sweeney won the 1500m on Saturday and Ben Greenwood the 800m on Sunday, with Sol taking bronze there.

Other Scots to land gold at U20 level over the weekend were: Emily Craig, Oliver Watson-Sweeney, Lewis Brown, Alana Dunsmore, Emma Canning, Siobhan Kingham, Eve Sealy, Euan Gillham, Lewis McGuire, David Wilson, Rachel Alexander, Dionne Milne, Declan Gall, Andrew Peck and Craig Moriarty.