Team shield at Borders secondary schools XC championships goes to Peebles High

The Springwood Road school won trophies in six of eight categories – for S1 boys, S2 boys and girls, S3 boys and girls and the girls’ open – and Earlston High won the other two, for S1 girls and the boys’ open.

Peebles’ Archie Hempenstall finished the 2km S1 boys’ race first in 6:43, with his schoolmate Seb Foley second in 6:44 and Galashiels Academy’s Mac Jamieson third in 6:54.

Galashiels’ Freya Ainslie won the girls’ version, also over 2km, in 7:32, with Earlston’s Hannah Graham second in 7:54 and Selkirk High’s Bronny Bowers third in 8:02.

Earlston’s Angus McCarthy and Molly Trewartha were fastest S2 boy and girl respectively, clocking 9:43 and 10:23 for their 3km races.

Galashiels’ Arnon Macleod was runner-up in the former in 9:45, with Kelso High’s Archie Scott third in 10:22.

Jedburgh Grammar Campus’s Rosa Mabon was second in the latter in 10:29, with Selkirk’s Holly Craig third in 11:12.

Peebles’ Jack Foley won the 3km S3 boys’ race in 8:55, with Hawick High’s Greg Watson next in 9:55 and Peebles’ Ben Sargeant third in 10:01.

First place in the corresponding girls’ race over the same distance went to Kelso’s Evie Leonard in 10:44, with Selkirk’s Annabelle Stewart second in 11:38 and Peebles’ Summer Noble third in 12:26.

Earlston’s Archie Dalgliesh won the 4km boys’ open in 12:01, with Kelso’s Oliver Hastie as runner-up in 12:13 and Hawick’s Alfie Walker third in 12:27.

A time of 10:39 won the 3km girls’ open for Peebles’ Isabella Moran, with her schoolmate Eala Mackay third in 11:42 and Galashiels’ Poppy Lunn second in 11:08.

Jedburgh Grammar took away 2026’s primary schools team shield despite not coming out on top in of the four classes contested.

Those team trophies went to Peebles’ Priorsford and Kingsland primaries for P6 boys and girls respectively, Hawick’s Drumlanrig St Cuthbert’s Primary for P7 boys and St Boswells Primary for P7 girls.

Priorsford’s Ben McGeoch and Thea Urie won the 2km P6 boys and girls’ races in 7:21 and 7:50.

Jedburgh’s Archie Jones was second in the former in 7:25, with Drumlanrig’s Lawrie Reilly third in 7:34.

Melrose Primary’s Emily Cranston was second in the latter in 7:57, with Kingsland’s Eva Tumilowicz third in 8:11.

Drumlanrig’s Connor Davidson was first home in the P7 boys’ 2km race in 7:05, with schoolmate Harrison Combe third in 7:21 and Jackson Swan, of Galashiels’ Burgh Primary, second in 7:07.

First place in the equivalent girls’ race, also over 2km, went to Rose Davidson, of Kelso’s Edenside Primary, in 6:49. Lauder Primary’s Rowan Johnston was runner-up in 7:10 and Ella Black, of St Peter’s Primary in Galashiels, was third in 7:32.