Round-up March 14/15: NCAAs; European Throws; Deeside; Alloa

Monday 16th March 2015

Allan Hamilton – now second on the indoors all-time list for long jump

Long jumper Allan Hamilton came up with one of the best performances of another hectic weekend for our elite and international athletes.

The Edinburgh AC athlete is currently studying at New Mexico University and featured in the NCAA finals event in Fayetteville, Arizona.

Allan came up with a PB performance of 7.74m and that takes him into second in the all-time indoor list for long jump behind record holder, Darren Ritchie. The NCAA performance gives Allan the coveted ‘All-American’ status. Darren’s record is 7.81 indoors.

Jax Thoirs, who was fourth at the Commonwealth Games at Hampden last summer, was also in action at the NCAA.

And he equalled his season’s best with 5.50m to finish just outside the medals in fourth place following a good indoor season. Jax attends the University of Washington.

While the NCAA’s took place in America, the CIS Champs in Canada witnessed good performances by a Scottish contingent.

Calum Innes won silver in the 60m hurdles with a PB of 7.89 while Sarah Inglis took bronze in the 3000m with 9.21.03 and a bronze in the 4 x 800 with Trinity Western University. Hazel Ross set a season’s best 8.56 in the heats in the 60m hurdles en route to a sixth place in the final.

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Chris Bennett – eighth place in Portugal

Team Scotland trio Mark Dry, Chris Bennett and Rachel Hunter were competing for GB and NI at the European Winter Throws in Portugal.

Unfortunately, the competition in Lieiria didn’t go to plan for Mark while Rachel had not been feeling 100 percent in the countdown.

Chris, on the occasion of his first GB vest, was the best performer of the three Scots with his 70.65m throw landing him eighth place in the Senior Men’s hammer competition. There were 17 men involved, with Mark finishing in 12^th with his best at 69.25.

Rachel competed in the Women’s U23 event on Sunday and finished 10^th with 58.37.

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Ross Houston winning Edinburgh Half Marathon 2014

Ross Houston: course record at Deeside

Ross Houston competed for Scotland at the marathon at the Commonwealth Games and is set to feature over 100k in the Anglo-Celtic Plate.

And Houston showed he’s ready for ultra running by coming up with an impressive course record in the Deeside Way 33-Mile race.

The Central AC athlete clocked 3.10.40 to win from a field of 344 runners and take more than 19 minutes off the previous record held by Grant Jeans. Ross Milne of Corstorphine, also making his ultra distance debut, was second in 3.25.28 and that was also inside the record held previously by Jeans. Lee Muir was third.

Ross told the Press and Journal: ‘I was a couple of minutes inside the record at halfway but was able to pick up the speed even more than I thought in the second half.

‘I felt good and finished strongly and I am thinking of a few more races before the 100K. I will be at the Scottish Road Relays in Livingston and the English Road Relays.’

Joanna Wilson of Carnegie Harriers won the Women’s race with 4.11.03 – winning narrowly from Victoria Hunter, who was only 76 seconds behind. Livingston’s Avril Pearson was third.

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Alloa Half Marathon – the start

Tewolde Mengisteab followed up his Inverness Half Marathon win with victory at the Alloa Half Marathon.

The Shettleston Harriers athlete clocked 67.30 with Robert Gilroy at 68.32 and Pat Gierjatowicz with a PB in third at 68.37. Jenn Wetton won the Women’s race with a PB of 76.51 – after finishing second in Inverness a week earlier, with Lesley Macfadyen second in 80.06 and Fiona Rudkin third in 80.21. These are chip times.

Results are online

Tags: Allan Hamilton, Callum Innes, Chris Bennett, Jax Thoirs, Jenn Wetton, Mark Dry, Rachel Hunter, Ross Houston, Tewolde Mengisteab