Lasswade Athletics Club senior men’s track and field team made a bright start in their bid to regain first division status in the Scottish Athletics League. After their surprise demotion last season the Midlothian outfit headed to Meadowbank on Saturday on the promotion trail to face division two competition in the first of four meetings over the summer. Eight other clubs stand in their way from various parts of Scotland and with only two places available manager Andrew Sobik expects a tough time. However, he has recruited some promising young athletes over the winter period and with the club’s own youth set-up starting to pay dividends he named his first team of the campaign with optimism. It was here that Lasswade had its first success with a fine second place in the pole vault for young Gareth Fleming from Newtongrange (in his first outing with the senior team) backed up by Fergus Nimmo (1st B). In fact this set the scene for the afternoon as the jumpers and throwers had indeed a ‘field day.’ John McOmish in the hammer, shot and javelin had a first and two second B’s, Slavik Dalecki 1st A in shot and javelin and Eddie Kopystynski (2nd A hammer) were supported all the way by Robert Ferguson who won the high jump and was second in the long jump and another new young athlete Shawn Wright who was winner of the triple jump and first ‘B’ in the high jump.
Meanwhile team captain Alastair Dalgleish had a busy afternoon on the track. Leading by example he covered the 400m hurdles, the 100 and 200 metres with three third placings, with Charlie Carstairs being equally busy in the two longer sprints and both relays. Greg Louden coming back from injury showed the form he displayed this time last year in winning the A 400m race in 48.97seconds the fastest time of the day for both leagues. Shawn Wright followed up his sterling efforts in the jumps to record a 4th place in the 100m while for the endurance squad another young promising athlete Jake Thomas made a fine debut for Lasswade in the 800m where he was a fast finishing fourth. Barney Phillips was prominent in the 1500m and later in the 5000m finishing third in both of these events and Colin Menzies scored a second in the Steeplechase. Jordan Charters and Dean Philip came into the team for the shorter relay with Wright and Ferguson but an unfortunate injury to Philip in the third section killed off their chances as he challenged for the lead. However, the day finished as it started with Greg Louden anchoring the 4x400m squad of himself Dalgleish, Carstairs and Wright into a fine second place.
Final results were: Lasswade 319 points, Pitreavie 280, Kilbarchan 240, Whitemoss
188, Corstorphine 162, Clydesdale 99, Fife 97, Dunfermline and West Fife 86 and
Kirkintilloch 80. Next Meeting on Sunday 20 May at Aberdeen.
