Scottish Highland Games Association

STILL ALL TO PLAY FOR IN SHGA LEAGUES

SHANE FENTON reviews the SHGA LEAGUE SEASON WITH FOUR GAMES LEFT

There may only be three weeekends and four highland games remaining of the 2016 season, it is however still all to play for in the various SHGA season long points leagues.

The outcomes of many are still in the balance, not only for the winners but also for the places with prizes going down to fourth spot.

For Scott Rider to be leading the Heavy Events league is somewhat remarkable when you consider he missed 5 weekends of the season through injury. Even though the points structure in the 'heavies' league was changed this season to 6-4-2 instead of 5-3-2 it is a magnificent achievment by Scott to have amassed over 700 points, the first time this has been done. Braemar is likely to be Scott's final games of the season but he looks to have enough points on the board to take the title. With around 30 competitions over the 4 games still to take place the battle for the 2nd,3rd & 4th looks like going to the wire.

Charles Fletcher has and excellent season on the bike and looks to have the Open cycling league title in save hands, Paul Gallacher and James Melville looked nailed on for the minor berths, it's a completely different story in the Youth cycle league with only 4 pts dividing the top four, with three venues left for the youths Kyle Cartmel currently leads.

There is jumps events at three of the remaing games and current leader Allan Hamilton is expected to compete at both Braemar and Pitlochry, Hamilton has had a tremendous season in both jumping and running with the highlight the breaking of the long standing long and triple jump Scottish records at the Mull Games in July, a feat which will surely be recognised when the SHGA hand out their annual awards. For good measure he also landed the Scottish long jump title at the Scottish Athletics Championships before clinching the SHGA Scottish Light Field title at Crieff. Allan holds a 20pt lead and looks certain to add to it, in the chase for the minor placings only 10 points seperate four athletes.

In the running there is an intriguing battle going on in the 1600/3200m league with only nine points seperating five athletes, Dean Whiteford presently has a three point lead, but he daren't look over his shoulder, this is another league which can go to the final day and Whiteford knows all about the Invercharron scenario from years gone by!

With six victories in 200 metres races Lee Goodfellow is in a strong position at the head of the 90/200 league and looked to have sealed the deal at Birnam last weekend when he racked up 17pts, Cameron Smith with four wins in 90 metres events is in second place. That position can be put under pressure by Allan Hamilton who sits only 5 points adrift, the Edinburgh AC man has won more sprint races than anyone else this season including handicap and scr wins at Loch Lomond,Mull,Stirling,Crieff,Halkirk and Oban and add to that a win in the big sprint at the non SHGA meeting at Langholm.

The destination of the 400/800 title is another eye catching affair with Craig Robertson leading Ewan Bradley by only 10pts, there is a similar 10pts between Rory Anderson and Kyle Potts in the race for 3rd place. Robertson and Bradley have hoovered up an astonishing 166 pts between them, and along with third placed Rory Anderson and Willie Bates these are the only athletes to have picked up points in all three running leagues.

Unless there is a dramatic change the ladies league title looks like going to Zaynah Aziz who had wins at Loch Lomond,Airth and Bridge of Allan.

Sean Bates has had an outstanding season in the Youth running events and currently leads both leagues, in the Up to 400m league he leads Ben Lyall by 11 pts, then from Lyall down only 6pts seperates seven athletes. Sean has a healthier lead in the over 400 metres league where he has a 20 points gap over the chasing pack headed by Connor Allan, again it's tight for the minors with just 5pts covering seven runners.

The Tug of War rope along with the title looks to be in the hands of the team from Elgin who have a good lead over 2015 champions Mount Blair although there is a couple of TOW results to be included in the league.

Just for fun i've put together an overall league as it would affect the track and light field competitors. It shows the overall top performers over the season to date are Allan Hamilton along with the top three from the 400/800 league Craig Robertson,Ewan Bradley and Rory Anderson.Bradley has picked up points in four different leagues. Lee Goodfellow also made the ton with Stuart Clark leading competitor from the North.

These totals look certain to change however over the next three weekends.

EWAN BRADLEY – INVERNESS – 148.5pts.

ALLAN HAMILTON – EDINBURGH AC -133pts.

CRAIG ROBERTSON – LOGIERAIT – 128pts

RORY ANDERSON – HAWICK – 109pts.

LEE GOODFELLOW – TLJT - 106pts

STUART CLARK – STONEHAVEN – 92pts

Published: 2016-08-31 22:25:55