3 individual champions. An individual silver medallist. 3 team medals. And competitive from Under 13 to Masters categories. Not bad!
‘These fantastic results showcase not only outstanding individual and team performances, but also our strength across all age groups.’
Gordon Colvin, Club President
Under 13s
Matilda Frew got the club off to a flyer with a superb silver in the U13 Girls race, the joint second best performance in the club’s history. An amazing finish saw her charge from 8th to 2nd on the steep uphill stretch to the finish.
Matilda was followed home by Kara Lindsay in 25th, Carrie Charters in 37th and Olivia Baxter in 48th. The U13 Girls team finished 4th – the best finish since 2006.
U13 Boys were next up and it seemed that Angus Wilkinson had been taking note of Matilda Frew’s run. On the final hill, Angus clinched a brilliant individual gold by surging past the Giffnock athlete he had been shadowing throughout the race.
(Blog header photo of Angus Wilkinson winning U13B gold copyright Bobby Gavin, That One Moment.)
EKAC did a great job of packing the field behind Angus, with Ben Baillie 14th, Euan Thorpe 15th, Rory Charters 20th and Arran Rosling 32nd. That resulted in an outstanding team silver – the first time the club has won an U13 Boys team medal at the Championships!
Under 15s
It didn’t stop there. The U15 Girls continued their team-medal-winning ways (after taking silver at the Short Course XC Championships in October) with a great 3rd, producing the best result for the club since 2005. Rhianna Docherty led the team home in 7th, followed by Aimee Anderson in 13th and Amy Andrew in 17th.
‘Many of our athletes have come to us because a teacher has spotted potential and asked a parent, “Have you thought about taking them to an athletics club?”‘
Gordon Colvin, Club President
Not to be outdone, the Under 15 Boys also took home an amazing 3rd place in the team race, producing the best result since 1992! Jamie Connor led the team home in 11th with a fine run, followed by Aaron Thomson 17th and Jonathan Hunter 23rd, with Dylan Edwards 33rd, Matthew McQuaid 40th and Kieran Budd 51st.
Under 17 & Under 20
While Calum Charters was coming a fine 25th in a high-standard U17 Men’s race in the West, over at the East District XC Championships, EKAC member Hannah Anderson (centre) was winning 2 golds in her university vest, taking an excellent victory in the U20 Women’s race by roughly 30 seconds and, in the process, leading her team to 1st. Hannah may be the only EKAC member to have won both an East and West District championship.
Seniors & Masters
Vivien Thorpe came a brilliant 7th W40 (and 43rd overall) in the Senior Women race, closely followed by Kelly Baillie as 9th W40 (47th overall). Gemma Kirwan was next home as 6th W50 (96th overall), meaning a brilliant 5th for our Masters Women team.
Grant Baillie led the Senior Men’s team home with a great 13th, winning Masters gold in the process.
Grant was followed home in the Seniors race by Daryl Reid 22nd, John Fergusson 24th, Jamie Clements 30th, Martin Lynas 31st, David Ross 42nd (5th v40), Andrew Forteath 71st, Jack Kirwan 76th, John Edwards 181st (26th v40), Gary Craig 184th, Andrew Chapman 195th (32nd v45), Graeme Haddow 222nd (17th v55), Gerry O’Neil 232nd (38th v45) and Stuart Macdonald 266th (45th v45).
The Senior Men team came home a great 5th, making it 3 top 5 finishes in a row. The Masters Men went one better with a brilliant 4th.
Importance of local schools
Club President Gordon Colvin commented, ‘These fantastic results showcase not only outstanding individual and team performances, but also our strength across all age groups. That’s testament to the hard work put in by athletes, coaches and parents, and by those behind the scenes who look after athletes’ welfare or contribute via the Committee. It’s a proud moment for all connected with the club.
‘We have a strong reputation with the schools in the area, and I know the likes of Duncanrig Secondary, Strathaven Academy and St Andrew’s & St Bride’s High will be thrilled to see their pupils performing at such a high level. Many of our athletes have come to us because a teacher has spotted potential and asked a parent, “Have you thought about taking them to an athletics club?” Those few simple words can lead to a lifetime’s enjoyment of athletics and the friendships that come with it.’
