Five first places for Team Borders at season’s second youth athletic league meeting

Following on from ten first places at April’s opening round at Livingston, their wins at the weekend went to Robert Horton in the under-15 boys’ 200m in 24.2 seconds; Connor Davidson in the under-11 boys’ 600m in 1:50.1, with Wilfred Lee third in 1:55.9; Matilda Lee in the under-13 girls’ 1,500m in 5:13.7, with Rosa Mabon second in 5:14.2; Roan Miskelly in the under-11 boys’ quoits with a throw of 22.45m; and Greg Watson in the under-15 boys’ shot-put with 8.16m.

Other individual runner-up spots were claimed by Olivia Lunn in the under-15 girls’ high jump with 1.39m, Emily Cranston in the under-11 girls’ 200m with 31.6 and long jump with 3.38m and Melisa Matiukaite at under-15 girls’ shot-put with 7.99m.

Further third places went to Holly Craig in the under-15 girls’ 1,500m in 5:23.8, Greg Watson third in the boys’ version in 4:41.5, Amelie Wilson at under-11 girls’ quoits with a throw of 12.5m and, all in the under-13 age bracket, Magnus Church at boys’ javelin with 19.32m, Connor Wilson at boys’ 75m hurdles in 14.8 seconds and Isla Woodburn in the girls’ long jump with 4.33m.

Sunday’s 4x100m relays saw the Borderers pick up a further five second places.

Under-11 girls Darcy Sharp, Amelie Wilson, Freya Michie and Emily Cranston were second to Fife’s Pitreavie Amateur Athletic Club in 1:05.8.

Their male peers Wilfred Lee, Lachlan Graham, Elliot Baxter and Connor Davidson were second to Pitreavie too, in 1:05.2.

Under-13 girls Robyn Lees, Matilda Lee, Rose Davidson and Isla Woodburn also ended up second to Pitreavie, in 58.6.

The same went for under-15 boys Greg Watson, Russell Wilson, McLaren Welsh and Robert Horton in 54.4.

Their female opposite numbers – Holly Craig, Olivia Lunn, Jessica McCowan and Melisa Matiukaite – placed second as well but to different opposition, Edinburgh Athletic Club, in 56.2.

One more meeting is left to go and it’s on Saturday, August 9. It’s likely to be at Grangemouth too but that’s to be confirmed.

Grangemouth also hosted this year’s Scottish Schools Athletic Association track and field championships on Friday and Saturday and Gala Harrier Ava Richardson was among the medallists.

Earlston High School pupil Richardson earned a bronze medal in Saturday’s girls’ B 3,000m race after clocking 10:55.57, just over a minute adrift of the winning time of 9:47.20 recorded by Strathearn Harriers’ Eilidh Dallas.

Her clubmate Robert Horton was also on the run on Saturday, placing fourth in the boys’ C 300m final for Peebles High School in 37.37, with victory going to East Kilbride’s Charlie Murray in 36.38.

Other Borderers competing included Peebles High’s Jack Foley, 11th in 4:33.40 in Saturday’s boys’ C 1,500m final.