Gala Harriers’ Katie Rourke now Scottish women’s 5,000m champion after going for gold in Aberdeen
Gala Harriers’ Katie Rourke is Scotland’s new women’s 5,000m champion after going for gold at this year’s national senior and under-18 athletics championships at Aberdeen on Saturday.
Rourke clocked a time of 16:54.30 to finish more than half a minute clear of Glasgow’s Flora Henry, runner-up in a field of three in 17:28.96.
Another Glasgow under-23-year-old, Louisa Brown, was third and last in 18:04.13.
The Galashiels club were also represented by Cameron Rankine, Robert Horton and James Cockburn.
Rankine was seventh of eight to make it to Saturday’s senior men’s 800m final in 2:00.47, placing as fifth under-23-year-old and trailing Central Athletic Club’s Josh Scott, first-placed finisher in 1:54.93, by just over five seconds.
Horton was sixth of seven to finish the under-18 boys’ final later that same day in 53.98 seconds, just over four seconds behind Irish winner Victor Lamph’s time of 49.90.
Horton returned on Sunday to contest the under-18 boys’ 200m races alongside clubmate James Cockburn but neither made it to the final.
Horton was third in his heat in 23.49 and Cockburn clocked 23.69 to finish fifth in his. First place in the day’s final went to Dundee’s Ben Thompson in 21.87.
Saturday also saw Tweed Leader Jed Track’s Cameron Tindle claim a podium place in the senior men’s 100m final, finishing third in 10.62 seconds, with pole position going to Kilbarchan Amateur Athletic Club’s Krishawn Aiken in 10.34.
That was one of two bronze medals for TLJT, the other going to under-16 Isla Woodburn that same day for clearing 1.59m in the under-18 girls’ high jump, won by Cumbernauld’s Leanna Elliot with a leap of 1.69m.
Their club were also represented by Poppy Kerr at under-18 women’s 800m and Evie Renwick at senior women’s 100m respectively on Saturday.
Kerr was sixth of six in her heat in a personal best time of 2:32.05, with first place in the final going to Ireland’s Freya Bateman in 2:13.04.
Renwick was seventh of eight to make the final, and second under-23, in 12.25, half a second behind Aberdonian winner Holly Whittaker, and she was also fifth in her 200m heat on Sunday in 26.15, that final being won by Glasgow’s Lucy Fraser in 24.15.
Newtown’s Ewan Purves, representing Edinburgh Athletic Club, was fourth in Saturday’s senior men’s 400m, and second under-23, in 48.89 seconds, with first place going to North Ayrshire’s Ben Heron in 48.27.
Purves was also fifth in Sunday’s senior men’s 200m, and third under-23, in a PB of 22.40, with Aiken taking first place in 21.31.