Borders athlete Thomas MacAskill celebrating winning first 8,000m medals in US

Thomas MacAskill with the prize he won for finishing tenth in the George Young invitational 8,000m race in Coolidge in Arizona this month

Expatriate Borders athlete Thomas MacAskill is celebrating after winning his first individual and team medals in the US.

The Hawick 19-year-old was part of the Central Arizona College men’s team that won a bronze medal at the latest Arizona Community College Athletic Conference cross-country championships and he followed that up by winning another for finishing tenth in 27:47.40 at an invitational run this month, also held in Coolidge and over 8,000m.

MacAskill finished 29th in the former in 26:36, won by his team-mate Julian Campos in 24:50.

Another of his team-mates, Jorge Carmona, finished the George Young invitational first in 26:29.70 and his team won that one.

“It was a difficult championship going into it as we knew we had a chance of medalling and even winning,” he said.

“We have identified our weaknesses, noted our strengths and are looking forward to going in to phase two of our winter training schedule.

“We move up to 80 miles per week and now focus on speed endurance.

“Other colleges did ease down for those championships but we didn’t and we don’t plan to start easing down until the main national championships in November, when it really counts.

“Essentially we are using these races as hard workouts and training intensively throughout the races leading up to nationals.

“I’m proud of the team for the unity we showed and going out there and hurting ourselves.”

The Borderer’s team are contesting another invitational, also over 8,000m, in California this weekend.

The former Teviotdale Harrier is on a track and field scholarship studying sports psychology at the Coolidge college after completing a higher national diploma in sports coaching and development at Borders College in Galashiels earlier this year.