Athletics: Lothians pupils stack up records

THERE were stacks of good performances at Grangemouth over three days of intense competition in both Scottish Schools and National under-20 and under-23 championships.

Craigmount pupil Emma Nuttall (Edinburgh AC) was awarded the Frances Barker Shield for the top female performance at the two-day schools meet for her 1.78 metre high jump clearance which erased the A group best of Jayne Barnetson going back to 1985.

Merchiston Castle rugby player Will Lerche added six metres to his best to win the A javelin with a throw of 59.20m to claim the Alex Dalrymple Trophy for the best male thrower of the meeting but, not helped by a shoulder injury, was also well down yesterday in taking the under-20 title (48.03m).

Allan Hamilton (EAC) had a terrific treble at the schools meet. Winner of the A 100m in a personal best of 10.95, the Watson's pupil added the long jump with a PB of 7.11m and the a final round jump of 14.77m gave him a new personal and championship best in the triple.

The Eric Liddell Trophy for the meeting's best performance looked his until Somali-born Shawlands Academy pupil Ahmed Sharif-Hassan came along and smashed the C (u-15) 1500m best by over 12 seconds with 4:01.33.

City and Lothian athletes enjoyed plenty of other success however with Peter Louden (Preston Lodge) taking the A 800m (1:56.63), Fraser Scott (Merchiston) the 5000m (15:40.54), Firrhill's Tom Holligan the B 100 (10.92) and 200 (21.98), Jay Younger (Merchiston) the B 400 (50.08) and Jake Wightman (Fettes) the 3000 (9:06.60).

Lasswade's Ross Matheson (Ross High) was more than 11 seconds faster in taking the under-20 title yesterday (3:54.79) than he had been in winning the schools A 1500 on Friday. Kimberley Reed (Drummond) won the B hammer with a PB 49.98m on Friday and took the silver in the discus (32.04m).

• AL HAY, a 24-year-old Queen Margaret graduate achieved the Commonwealth Games qualifying time in the 1,500m at a meeting in Watford.