MID ARGYLL Athletic Club hosted their first competition in the games hall of the new joint campus school in Lochgilphead last Sunday.
The annual event, which was the local heat in a series of five area competitions held in Argyll this winter, attracted an entry of 47 young athletes. The entry was well up on 2006, and encouraging considering the problems the club are facing regarding the storage of equipment at the new building.
The most closely contested age group was the under-11 boys with only one point between champion Ben Millar and Kier Whitefield, both from Lochgilphead. Ben won the two-lap race, high jump, long jump and javelin and the younger Kier was winner in the four-lap race, triple jump, speed bounce and vertical jump.
Toby Corner from Inveraray won the under-13s, thanks to wins in the high jump, triple jump, shot putt and vertical jump plus high places in the remaining four events. Eric Riddell from Tayvallich was runner-up - winning the other four events - and impressed with his powerful running style winning the two-lap in 25.9 and four-lap race in 56.9 seconds.
Stuart Munro from Ardrishaig dominated the under-9 category winning seven events including a fast 29.6 in the two-lap race and then 70 jumps in the speed bounce test. Aaron Whitefield, Lochgilphead, won the javelin producing a 13.50 metres throw.
Iona MacNicol from Ormsary was the under-9 champion with a comfortable points advantage ahead of Shannon Wilson from Lochgilphead. Iona won the high jump and two-lap race and tied with Shannon in the long jump. Shannon excelled in her first competition with her 4.40 metres standing triple jump not too far below the Argyll age record. Lee van Well threw 13.25 metres to win the javelin.
The under-11 contest attracted the largest entry with 14 girls entering a competition won by Olivia Kerr from Ardrishaig. Olivia dominated the running events winning the two-lap in 29.2 and the four-lap in 66.7 seconds and placed first in the triple jump and vertical jump. Emily West, from Lochgilphead, won the high jump, long jump and speed bounce with a total of 71 jumps in 30 seconds. Elaine MacEachern from Ormsary won the javelin throwing 14 metres.
The entry in the older age groups was disappointing but the standard was still high with Eilidh Campbell, Lochgilphead and Laura Fyfe from Inveraray recording good marks in all eight events in the under-15 category. Both girls have been members of the Argyll teams in recent years with Eilidh qualifying for the UK Sports Hall Final in 2005. Laura is a talented shot putter and has won medals at district and national competitions in 2007.
Hannah Baer from Tayvallich won the under-13 section with Madeline Ward from Lochgilphead runner-up.
Successful athletes from Sunday’s competition will be invited to compete in the Argyll Final to be held at Atlantis Leisure in Oban on Saturday, December 15. In the final they will compete against athletes from Oban, Kintyre, Mull, Dunoon and hopefully Islay.
Results: Under 9 Girls: 1 Iona MacNicol (Achahoish) 23, 2 Shannon Wilson (Lochgilphead) 17.5, 3 Amanda McLaughlin (Lochgilphead) 14, 4 Lea van Well (Ardrishaig) 11, 5 Rona Lockhart (Lochgilphead) 8
Under 11 Girls: 1 Olivia Kerr (Ardrishaig) 21, 2 Elaine MacEachern (Achahoish) 13, 3 Emily West (Lochgilphead) 12, 4 Kelly Crawford (Ardrishaig) 11.5, 5 Rosie Burrell (Tayvallich) 7
Under 13 Girls: 1 Hannah Baer (Lochgilphead High School) 31, 2 Madeline Ward (LHS) 25
Under 15 Girls: 1 Eilidh Campbell (LHS) 31, 2 Laura Fyfe (LHS) 16
Under 9 Boys: 1 Stuart Munro (Ardrishaig) 30, 2 Keiron MacPhee (Lochgilphead) 13.5, 3 Arran Robertson (Lochgilphead) 13, 4 Aaron Whitefield (Lochgilphead) 12, 5 Kian Francis (Lochgilphead) 8
Under 11 Boys: 1 Ben Millar (Lochgilphead) 27, 2 Kier Whitefield (Lochgilphead) 26, 3 Ewan MacNeill (Lochgilphead) 12, 4 Jonathon Gibson (Lochgilphead) 11.5, 5 Curtis Hughes (Ardrishaig) 3.5
Under 13 Boys: 1 Toby Corner (LHS) 28, 2 Erik Riddell (LHS) 24.5, 3 Andrew Weir (LHS) 9.5, 4 Harry Thomas (LHS) 9, 5 Chris Coates (LHS) 8.5
Under 17 Boys: 1 Gordon Graham (LHS)
All of these athletes qualify for the Argyll final in Oban, starting at 1pm with registration from 12noon. Entry fee is £1.
