The final results and placings for the SAIL are now in. Full individual results and team placings can be found in the attachments. It was a great effort from all the athletes in all age groups, and overall a successful return to the league. Congratulations to the U17 Girls Team who have qualified for this months final with a third place finish. Throughout the age groups we managed four top 5 finishes with a further five top 10 finishes. Which considering the standard of competition, and record number of teams involved, was fantastic.
Summary of Overall Placings
U11 Boys – 9th, U11 Girls – 9th
U13 Boys A – 4th, U13 Boys B – 10th, U13 Girls – 11th
U15 Boys – 17th, U15G Girls A – 8th, U15 Girls B – 9th
U17 Boys – 4th, U17 Girls – 3rd
U20 Men – 5th
For full results and placings use the following links
The National Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday 25 February at Callendar Park, Falkirk. There had been adverse weather conditions in the lead up to the race and the event was under threat of cancellation. Fortunately, however it went ahead in extremely wet and muddy conditions.
The first race of the day was the under 13 boys and Lasswade AC had six athletes competing, Harry Henriksen, Dexter Howard, Alastair Scott, Matthew Cartledge, Cameron Dickson and Rory Fletcher. Harry Henriksen already the East District and Inter District cross country champion was the pre-race favourite having won all seven of his races this winter. There were some pre race nerves but Harry got off to a good start working his way to the front of the field of 170 runners. Harry looking comfortable in difficult conditions used his strength to gradually build up a lead over the chasing runners to win by eleven seconds and add the National Cross Country title to his growing collection.
Harry Henriksen – U13 National Cross Country Champion – 2017
In the U17 women we had three runners, Lauren Dickson, Ailsa Innes and Eilidh Brown. This race had a quality field with any one of six or seven athletes, including Lauren Dickson who had finished runner up last year, capable of winning the title. The race went as expected with pre race favourite Erin Wallace of Giffnock taking it on and trying to establish an early lead, however she was not going to get it all her own way as a pack of about six runners formed on the first large lap. The pack included Lauren Dickson (Lasswade AC) Naomi Lang (Aberdeen) Clare Stewart (Banchory) and Kate Gallacher (Central). Small gaps started to open towards the end of the first lap where Erin and Naomi began to get away from the other runners with Lauren sitting in fourth place just behind Clare Stewart. Lauren fighting all the way to the end finished just outside the medals in fourth place. Team mates Ailsa Innes finished 23rd with Eilidh Brown 33rd. Unfortunately, the girls team also finished just outside the medals in 4th place missing out on a bronze by three points!
Lauren Dickson who finished 4th in the U17 women’s race.
The under 17 men were running two laps, one large and one medium. Lasswade had five runners, Magnus Tait, Christian Graham, Euan Hood, Jamie Darling and Daniel Kelly. Magnus led the boy’s home with a strong run finishing in 20th place. The fast improving Christian Graham running his first National cross country was 32nd, followed by Euan Hood 56th, Jamie darling 69th and Daniel Kelly 76th.
In the under 13 girls and under 15 girls we had one runner in each race with Fiona Eades (U13) running well to finish 138th and the consistently improving Abby McGlone (U15) in 48th place.
We also had one runner in the under 15 boys, Jamie Kinghorn who had a solid run in 92nd place.
The action at this event is thick and fast with one race quickly following another we had now reached the stage of the day where there were only a couple of races remaining.
In the women’s race we only had one athlete running, Daniella Coutto who unfortunately had to pull out after the first lap injured. However it was good to see a former Lasswade AC athlete, Olympian and six time previous winner of the National cross country, Freya Ross, running and still finishing inside the top 30.
The final event was the senior men with by far the biggest field of the day with 647 finishers. There were eight Lasswade athletes running and they were as follows, Ross Matheson, Scott Thomson, Andrew McGlone, Peter Ness, Scott Dickson, Dave Scott, Ben Mitchell and Stephen Brown.
I was looking forward to this race as not only was Olympian Callum Hawkins competing but our own Ross Matheson was running his first senior national, a former U17 and U20 National XC winner having missed a few seasons was back running and seemed quietly confident. We also had a new athlete running for us today, Scott Thomson so I was also looking forward to seeing him run.
As the race got underway, a spectacle in itself, Callum Hawkins made it clear he was out for a hard run hitting the front early and remaining there to the finish. A little further back Ross was looking good sitting fairly high up the field just outside the top 10 with Scott a bit further back in around 50th place. Over the next two laps both managed to pass another few runners with Ross finishing inside the top 10 in 8th and Scott just outside the top 40 in 42nd.
Lauren Dickson with Ross Matheson and U17 team mate Eilidh Brown
All in all, a great days racing for the club’s distance runners.
Final results are now in for the second of the Indoor League matches. We are still in the process of checking on one result, however this will not affect the overall totals. Again well done to the whole team, great turnout, great individual and team performance.
Congratulations also to Adam Leighton and Michelle Blaikie on acheiving Grade One AAA Standard performances in the High Jump. This puts their performances in the top 7.5%, based on the AAA Standards Scheme and Power of Ten database.
The results have now been confirmed for the first of the Indoor League matches. These are the results that will appear on Power of Ten. I have checked to make sure all the changes needed were made. The only new change needed is to remove our runner from the results for the U13 girls B String 60m. This is getting removed and has no effect on any of the points totals. If you see anything I have missed please get in touch.
Scottish 4 x 200m Indoor Relay Championships, Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Saturday 4th March
The club would like to put teams in to the above championships. We plan to enter boys and girls teams in the U13, U15 & U17 age groups.
If you would like to be considered for selection for these championships please contact Gordon by email (rtbhq1@googlemail.com) or text (07958 595790) before Saturday 28th January.
As if you needed another incentive to sign up for the Lasswade 10 Mile Road Race on Sunday 5 March 2017. We are delighted to announce another sponsor. None other than Tunnock’s. That can mean only one thing post race !!!! So get signed up at www.entrycentra.com right away
