Gala Harrier Marcus D'Agrosa was 21st all told in 28:34 at Saturday's Scottish Athletics east district cross-country league meeting at KirkcaldyGala Harrier Marcus D'Agrosa was 21st all told in 28:34 at Saturday's Scottish Athletics east district cross-country league meeting at Kirkcaldy
Gala Harrier Marcus D'Agrosa was 21st all told in 28:34 at Saturday's Scottish Athletics east district cross-country league meeting at Kirkcaldy

In photos: Top-ten finishes for Borderers at east district league cross-country meeting in Fife

This season’s first Scottish Athletics east district cross-country league meeting, held in Fife on Saturday, saw both individual runners and teams from the Borders claim top-ten places in their classes.

Gala Harrier Marcus D’Agrosa was the region’s top finisher overall at ​Kirkcaldy’s Belvedere Park. Clocking a time of 28:34 for the 7,800m course, he placed 21st out of a field of 185.

His clubmate Robbie Welsh was only three seconds behind him in 22nd place and was also seventh junior.

Gala’s masters team of Gary Trewartha, Iain Stewart and Tim Darlow took third place with respective positions of sixth, 11th and 21st out of 107 masters, placing 50th overall in 31:13, 69th in 32:19 and 82nd in 32:48.

Frankie McElroy was sixth counter for the Galashiels club’s senior team, placing 93rd in 33:56, helping them secure sixth place.

Magnus Inglis was their next finisher, 123rd overall and 52nd master in 36:25.

Teviotdale Harriers veteran Alan Coltman also completed the course, finishing 181st in 46:30.

Gala’s Isla Paterson finished second overall and as first junior in the women’s 5km race in 21:34, 47 seconds behind winner Nancy Scott, of Edinburgh Athletic Club.

She was one of two Gala runners to make the top ten, the other being Katie Rourke, tenth in 22:50.

Backed up by Lucy Brownlee, 37th in 25:58, and Gillian Lunn, 42nd overall and 14th master in 26:18, they helped the Gala senior women’s team to a fourth-placed finish.

Gala’s Shiona Gibson also went the distance in her cross-country debut, placing 62nd out of a field of 103 runners in 27:56.

Gala juniors were also in action, representing the Borders alongside members of Lauderdale Limpers.

The region’s under-11 girls’ team, racing over 1,700m, finished as runners-up – Lauder’s Rowan Johnston placing seventh in 7:50, with Gala’s Annabel Cregan 14th in 8:13 and Molly Trewartha 22nd in 8:19.

The Borders’ fastest under-11 girl, though representing Teviotdale Harriers rather than the regional team, was Rosa Mabon, runner-up by a margin of eight seconds in 7:17, and her sister Holly, also running for the Hawick club, was ninth in 8:00.

Bryn McAree was the Borders-wide team’s only entry in the under-13 boys’ 2,600m race, placing 35th in 12:14, followed by Teviotdale’s McLaren Welsh, 36th in 12:20.

Gala’s Annabelle Stewart was 11th in the under-13 girls’ race in 12:28, with clubmate Holly Craig 30th in 13:39 and Lauder’s Cleo MacLeod 43rd in 14:39.

Gala’s Archie Dalgliesh was 12th out of a field of 43 in 17:04 in the under-15 boys’ race over 4,300m, with clubmates Charlie Dalgliesh and Seb Darlow 17th in 17:38 and 19th in 17:59 respectively and Teviotdale’s Craig Watson 24th in 18:48.

Gala’s Ava Richardson was fifth overall in 17:53 and first under-15 in the combined U15/U17 race, with Kirsty Rankine tenth U15 and 22nd overall in 19:21, Kacie Brown 20th U15 and 41st all told in 20:43, Jaidyn Brown 29th U15 and 56th altogether in 22:21 and Evie Stewart 35th U15 and 64th overall in 24:29.

Poppy Lunn, Gala’s only under-17 girl, was 20th, and 36th all told, in 20:21, with Lauder’s Ava MacLeod 22nd, and 42nd overall, in 20:48 and Teviotdale’s Jessica Smith 23rd, and 43rd altogether, in 20:50.

Gala’s Irvine Welsh was 16th in a field of 40 under-17 boys racing over 5km in 20:20 and Matty Fleming got back 28th in 23:32.

The next east district league race is on Saturday, November 18, at Dundee, and this coming weekend will see national cross-country relays staged at Cumbernauld.

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