Hutchesons’ trio keep with tradition

Published on 13/11/2012 01:29

ATHLETICS: Megan Kane, Emily Crusher and Annie Gould maintained a great tradition for Hutchesons’ Grammmar School by winning the Senior 1 event at the Scottish Schools’ Secondary Road Relay Championships at Grangemouth.

It was a fifth win in eight years for the Glasgow school in the Senior 1 race and further medals came with silver in boys’ Senior 1 and bronze in the girls’ Medley.

Megan, Emily and Annie are all members of Giffnock North Athletic Club. “We all do a lot of running and really love it,” said Annie. “We also have a running club at school run by our biology teacher, Mrs Walker.

“The school is really encouraging and it is great to win. Watching the Olympics this summer was really inspiring.”

And the trio had no doubt in naming their London 2012 Olympic hero – Mo Farah received the unanimous vote. The Medley races are for two under-15 and two over-15 runners and Danielle Kelly, Rebecca Metcalfe, Megan Amner and the outstanding Chloe Cowan claimed the girls’ victory for Williamwood High School.

Danielle was fourth after the opening leg, Rebecca moved up to second and Megan trailed St Columba’s School at the final hand over.

Chloe, last year’s Scottish Schools’ Indoor 1500m Champion, had around 300m to make up and it seemed an unlikely gap to close. But she did it. As with the Hutchesons’ trio, the Williamwood girls are also members of the Giffnock North Club – and credit must go to coach Dudley Walker.

Gryffe High School’s James Toal, Euan Taylor and Andrew McAngus won the boys’ Senior 1 race. James and Andrew are both members of Kilbarchan Harriers – and they admitted the love cross country road running and the track.

James is also a keen footballer – he plays for the Morton professional youth team. In an all-Fife tussle, Balwearie High School’s Adam Scott, James Berry, Ben Potrykus and Bruce Miller held off the challenge from Queen Anne High School’s James Adam, Tyler White, Scott McAlpine and Aidan Thompson.

Bruce, the final leg runner, had a painful experience competing for Scotland at this year’s UK School Games – he broke his foot in the 1500m steeplechase. Winning gold for Balwearie was a great return for the Fife Athletics Club member.

RESULTS

Boys:

Senior 1: 1. Gryffe HS (James Toal, Euan Taylor, Andrew McAngus) 2. Hutchesons’ Grammar (Harry Nimmo, Ben Bicknell, Josh Bicknell) 3. Stewart’s Melville College (Jonathan Jackson, Lewis Herd, Sam Brown)

Relay: 1. Balwearie High School (Adam Scott, James Berry, Ben Potrykus, Bruce Miller) 2. Queen Anne HS (James Adam, Tyler White, Scott McAlpine, Aidan Thompson) 3. Jordanhill School (Jamie Mackinnon, Andrew Moreland, Fraser Glass, Jack Moreland)

Girls:

Senior 1: Hutchesons’ Grammar (Annie Gould, Emily Crusher, Megan Kane) 2. Hermitage Academy (Mhairi Cromar, Kara Bruce, Kathrin Slaughter) 3. Glasgow School of Sport (Lori Agnew, Neve Littlejohn, Ava McLean)

Relay: 1. Williamwood HS (Danielle Kelly, Rebecca Metcalfe, Megan Amner, Chloe Cowan) 2. St Columba’s School (Laura Stark, Iona Miller, Sarah Bradford, Kirsty Harper) 3. Hutchesons’ Grammar (Sarah Eunson, Holly McLelland, Lucy Davidson, Katie Turnbull)