SMITH SCORCHES UP TRACK AS BLACKFORD BURNS
The 2009 season got underway at boiling Blackford as sweltering temperatures brought out the Perthshire meetings biggest crowd for a number of years.
Someone else who was on fire was sprinter Cameron Smith, who took the 90 metres title for the third successive year, that was despite getting penalised for a false start in his heat where he finished runner-up.
He made no mistake in the final however storming through from the backmark of [3] metres to pip one of the front markers Sarah Ross [2 0]metres who had beaten Smith in the heat, third place went to 16 year old Martyn Paterson,Clackmannan [5 ]metres in his first race in Open competition.
The same trio reached the final of the 200 metres, with this time victory going to Sarah Ross[47] who held off the late thrust's of Jack Beattie,Rosyth[29] and Martyn Paterson[12] with Smith fourth[11].
The winning time for Ross was 22.13.
Visitor from South of the border Matt Tilletson,Liverpool [20] took the 400 metres in 51.40 ahead of Fraser Davidson,Torphins[17] and Willie Bates,Tullibdy[22].
10 runners lined up for the 800 metres where victory went to Borderer Dean Whiteford,Innerleithen[50] in 2:00.06 who got to the line just ahead of Andrew Gibson,Polmont[50] and the fast finishing backmarker Matt Tilletson[5].
The Liverpudlian had to settle for third place again in the 1600 metres where he ran from scratch, victory went to 2008 winner Coaltown of Balgonie veteran John Thomson[85] who stopped the clock at 2:45.60. with Dean Whiteford[100] in second place
In the Youth's 90 metres there was a clean sweep for the runners from East Kilbride, Ross Maxwell[6] took the tape in 10.63 ahead of training companions Nicholas Coupland[9], Laura McCracken[12] and Shannon McMahon[11].
The Youth's 200 was again an East Kilbride 1-2 with this time Coupland[20] getting home first in 23.90 ahead of Maxwell[14] with Lesley Nicholson,[14] Glasgow in third.
The Youth's 800 saw a comfortable win for Central AC's Rachael Adamson[125] who followed up her win from the previous year in a time of 2:00.81 just a fraction slower than the Open winners time.
Runner up was Lauren Arbuckle[220] from the Lothian Running Club with Julie Cook[180[ in third.
The overall cycling champion on the day was Alan Clark,Thurso who won both the 3200 metres and Deil tak the Hindmost races and was runner- up in the 800 and 1600 behind Neil Withington ,Carlisle and Tim Allan,Glenrothes respectively.
Published: 2009-06-09 19:52:09