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Winter training pays off for Victoria Park Athletes

The hard work of many cold nights over the past months paid dividends at the recent Indoor Scottish National Championships.  Over a thousand athletes were entered in the Senior and Junior events over the last forthright and this tough competition created personal best times for a large amount of participants.  It was not only great times that were being accomplished but 12 medals were also presented to Victoria Park athletes. 

The very first medal won by a club athlete was Christopher Baillie in the Senior men 60m hurdles where he finished 3^rd in 7.89 sec, just 0.14 sec away from the qualifying mark for the Indoor European Championships.  In the same event Neale Kelly was 4^th in his heat with a time of 9.05 sec.  Andrew Strain made the final of the men’s 200m where he finished 5^th in 22.91 sec.  Andrew also ran in the 60m sprint.  In his heat he finished in 3^rd position crossing the line in 7.26 sec.  The senior event was held together with the junior 4 X 200m relay races which created drama and excitement in all of the races.  The U13 boy’s team ran well in their heat and just missed out on the final despite coming 2^nd in 2.04.97 sec.  The U17 boys were also 2^nd in their heat but also missed out on a final place after finishing in 1.41.09 sec.  The U15 boys finished 2^nd in their heat leaving an anxious wait.  The delay was more than worth it as they made the five team final.  Rory Stewart started the team off despite feeling unwell and kept the race alive with a gutsy effort.  He passed the baton to John Craig who charged through the field into 3^rd place.  Michael Gray held onto that position leaving Lorn Menzies the last leg.  With the Whitemoss and Giffnock North team breathing down his neck Lorn sped away to earn the bronze medal ducking over the line in 1.51.08 sec.  Victoria Park managed to enter three U17 woman’s teams and they all performed with distinction.  The ‘A’ team were cruelly eliminated from the competition with 0.03 sec being the difference between a place in the final and elimination.  However there were great positives to take from the performance with all split times being below 29 sec.  This contributed to a fast time of 1.50.29 sec.  The ‘B’ team were also 3^rd in their heat with the 4 athletes sprinting round the track in 1.57.42 sec.  The ‘C’ team also gained valuable experience of a big occasion finishing 4^th in their heat in a time of 2.03.48 sec.  

The following weekend saw the National Age Group Championships come to the Kelvin Hall.  Added to the usual high standard of Scottish athletes was a large contingent of Irish competitors and a few people who came up from England for the event.  In the U17 women’s 200m Moira Burton won her heat in 28.16 sec to make the semi-finals where she finished 4^th.  Aisling McGhee finished 3^rd in the semi-final of the 300m running one and a half laps in 42.04 sec.  Emma Mallinson came 5^th in her 60m heat.  Her time was 8.93 sec.  Rebecca Riches was in the same event and finished in the same position as Emma.  Rebecca’s time was 8.48 sec.  Abbey McGhee equipped herself well in a tactical 800m final she crossed the line 2^nd in 2.24.44 sec. 

In the U 17 men’s age group David Martin continued his great form to become Scottish champion in the 60m hurdles his time was 8.53 sec.  Steven Beattie picked up a medal in the same race.  He was 3^rd sprinting the straight in 8.81 sec.  Thomas Campbell showed his immense talent for field event earning him two Scottish national medals on the same day.  He won the high jump in 1.80m, beating a very talented field, and finished 3^rd in the pole vault, clearing 3.40m.  Steven Beattie entered the pole vault and was 5^th in 2.70m.  Right behind him was the Scottish Schools pole vault champion Jamie Sinclair in 6^th.  Jamie cleared 2.60m. 

In the U15 boy’s 60m race John Craig was 5^th in his heat in a time of 8.17 sec.  John also ran the 200m where he came 4^th in his heat sprinting one lap in 27.94 sec.  Fellow sprinter Lorn Menzies was 2^nd past the post in his 200m heat.  Lorn time was 26.92 sec.  Michael Gray ran a personal best time in the 800m finishing 2^nd in his heat in 2.25.71 sec.  Calum Innes twice came agonisingly close to a medal in the 60m hurdles and the long jump.  He was the best Scottish hurdler but was beaten into 4^th by three Irish athletes in a time of 9.34 sec.  In the long jump he was also 4^th jumping 5.26m.  

Jax Thoirs received his first athletics medals at the nationals and it was some way to start his collection.  A gruelling days competition for the 12 year old included four heats, two finals and long jump.  Jax excelled in every event coming 3^rd in the 60m race in 8.64 sec, finishing 5^th in the hurdles in 11.00 sec and jumping 4.28m in the long jump for 3^rd place.  Alison Innes was also in three events.  She ran 200m in 32.93 sec to come 3^rd in her heat.  Alison also was 6^th in the 60m with a time of 9.61 sec and was 25^th in the long jump with a distance of 3.16m.  Amy Davis made another mayor event final this time finishing 5^th after running 2.40.72 sec in her heat.  

The focus of the athletes now goes back to the next Indoor league meeting next weekend and the Scottish National Cross Country Championships.