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Inverclyde & Leithenburn sprinters dominate at Thornton
SHANE FENTON reports from MEMORIAL PARK
Conditions were bright and breezy at Memorial Park for the 164th celebration of the Thornton Highland Gathering. Competitors came from all over Scotland and further afield.
The heavy events had throwers from New Zealand and Holland. It was a Scot however who emerged the overall winner with Sinclair Patience from Tain winning five of the seven disciplines, the 16lb and 22lb shot, 22lb hammer, 28lb weight for distance and caber. Greg Walker,Fettercairn was the victor in the 16lb hammer with Dan Carlin winning the 56lb weight over the bar.
The Open 90 metres which carried a first prize of £200 was run off in three heats, the entry was boosted by six runners from Inverclyde AC with four of them qualifying for the final. All were making their Highland games debuts, they had however competed at the New Year Sprint meeting.
The final was a close run affair with Finlay Burnside edging out his club mates Mark McGhee and Scott McCluckie. Kevin Eddy,Martin Barr and Matthew McGlaughlin were the other finalsists.
Victory in the 200 metres went to McCluckie from McGhee and McGlaughlin.
Eve Semple just failed made it an Inverclyde treble in the 400 metres when she was collared close home by Ewan Bradley,Inverness who broke the tape in 49.46 seconds.
There was a good field of 10 runners for the 800 metres handicap and it saw Dean Whiteford,Innerleithen follow up his win at Ceres the previous week stopping the clock at 1:55.49, Don Bradley and Willie Bates filled the minor berths.
Bradley also had to settle for the runners up spot in the 1600 metres, despite a late rally on the last lap he just failed to reel in Ruth Joss,Shettleston AC who crossed the line in 4:27.25.
Tyler White ,Aberdeen AC who finished in third place in the 1600m went on to land the 3200 metres, coming through from the backmark he came home ahead of Dean Whiteford and Willie Bates in 10:19.04.
There was an encouraging field of 25 runners for the Youth races boosted by a dozen from the Leithenburn club in the Borders. It was no surprise that they dominated the sprint events. They had five runners in the final of the 90 metres which was won by Luke Rathie in 9.98 from Louis Whyte and Josh Landers. Whyte went one better in the 200 metres hitting the line in 22.58 ahead of Harrison Morrison,Inverclyde AC and Eve Currie,Leithenburn.
14 runners went to their marks for the Youth's 800 metres handicap and it saw Kyle McFarlane,Pitreavie AC win his first ever race on the games circuit, forging ahead of the bunched field to take the tape in 1:54.01, Harrison Morrison followed him over the line in second with his sister Erin McFarlane in third.
There was a family 1 – 2 in the Youth's 1600 metres with Edouard Lecrivain, Aberdeen AC working his way through from the backmark to win in 4:43.03 from his brother Gaspard with Kyle McFarlane third.
Five cyclists contested the four races on the card. Paul Gallacher,Kirkcaldy was the man in form. After finishing runner up to Ryan Keir,Newburgh in the opening 1600 metres he went on to land a treble with wins in the 3200m,4800m and Deil tak the Hindmost.
The Youth's 800 metres was won by Lucy McLeod Aberdeen from Kyle Cartmel,Forres and Kyle Thomas,Edinburgh. Cartmel then won the 1600 metres from Thomas with Alexander McLeod in third.
Published: 2017-07-01 21:27:19
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