West District XC Champs, Irvine - Sat 9th Dec 2017
British mountain runner Andy Douglas led a weakened Inverclyde men’s team to a team bronze medal, while agonisingly missing out on the race win on the line at Irvine Racecourse.
Andy who is the current British mountain running champion and defending West District champion, lost out in a sprint finish to GB triathlete, Grant Sheldon, as the duo finished on the same time making it one of the best finishes in recent years. Andy’s silver medal helped Inverclyde in the points race – one that they have struggled a lot in in recent years despite being among the top teams in Scotland. Having medalled in three races since 2000, the bronze was well-received to add to their silver from the year before.
Behind Andy, John Bell would sneak into the top ten with a strong finish in ninth. Further down the field were Pete Tucker in 31st, a little up the road from Sean Gaffney in 36th. David Tamburini would come in as fifth counter in 49th, while Jon Hammerman continued to show his worth to the team as the final counter, collecting his first West District medal after finishing 61st just ahead of Nicholas Gemmell in 66th. Elsewhere there were runs for Robert Todd (146), Robert Gray (159) and Damien Mallet (167) showing depth even with many runners absent.
But the men’s bronze wouldn’t be the only medal of the day. The under-17 women took the glory for the club by winning silver in the team race. Nuala McCheyne would return to finish in a strong 5th, nine seconds ahead of teammate Nyah Gillan who had a fantastic run in 6th. Nuala’s twin, Cliona, would make it three women in the top 10 after finishing ninth. Despite a difficult run, Zoe Renfrew finished in 17th, further showing the quality that the team has heading into next year, as they will eye a team medal at Nationals.
Speaking of rising talent, the Gray brothers posted solid results in the under-20 race, with older brother Ross taking individual bronze. Despite only recently recovering from an injury dating back to near the start of the year, Ryan was only 21 seconds behind his sibling, finishing an impressive sixth.
The youngest Gray, was Robert who finished in ninth place in the under-13s race, which should be good enough for selection for the West District team at Inter Counties Cross Country next month in Edinburgh. Keir Arthur was the other runner in the race, finishing in a respectable 52nd.
In the under-13 girls’ race, there were some West District debuts. A young team of Leah Collins (38), Orla McGeehan (50) and Hannah Thomson (59) saw a completed team as they finished tenth overall – a result they will hope to improve on later in the season. Orla’s older sister Hannah would feature in the under-15’s race finishing 62nd, behind teammate Abi Hammerman who finished 41st.
Looking to join Robert Gray in the inter districts team will be Sean Fischer-Keogh after finishing 11th in the under-15 boys’ race, as he sits on the cusp of selection for the West of Scotland team. First year under-15 Lewis Hainey finished in a decent 31st. The under 17 men had a couple of absentees, but Dylan Crawford’s 22nd place and Ben Nichol’s 29th will be encouraging signs ahead of the rest of the season.
On the topic of encouraging signs, the senior women will look fondly at their result, despite having an incomplete team. Nynke Mulholland continued her form with an 8th place finish, while Rachael Bushfield would finish 11th – both will be looking to make the West District team. A little down the road was Julie Gordon who continues to show signs of progression as she finished 19th and fourth veteran overall.
In a race where Inverclyde have oddly struggled in recent years, the medals poured in today and continue to forecast good omens ahead of the rest of the cross country season next year.
British mountain runner Andy Douglas led a weakened Inverclyde men’s team to a team bronze medal, while agonisingly missing out on the race win on the line at Irvine Racecourse.
Andy who is the current British mountain running champion and defending West District champion, lost out in a sprint finish to GB triathlete, Grant Sheldon, as the duo finished on the same time making it one of the best finishes in recent years. Andy’s silver medal helped Inverclyde in the points race – one that they have struggled a lot in in recent years despite being among the top teams in Scotland. Having medalled in three races since 2000, the bronze was well-received to add to their silver from the year before.
Behind Andy, John Bell would sneak into the top ten with a strong finish in ninth. Further down the field were Pete Tucker in 31st, a little up the road from Sean Gaffney in 36th. David Tamburini would come in as fifth counter in 49th, while Jon Hammerman continued to show his worth to the team as the final counter, collecting his first West District medal after finishing 61st just ahead of Nicholas Gemmell in 66th. Elsewhere there were runs for Robert Todd (146), Robert Gray (159) and Damien Mallet (167) showing depth even with many runners absent.
But the men’s bronze wouldn’t be the only medal of the day. The under-17 women took the glory for the club by winning silver in the team race. Nuala McCheyne would return to finish in a strong 5th, nine seconds ahead of teammate Nyah Gillan who had a fantastic run in 6th. Nuala’s twin, Cliona, would make it three women in the top 10 after finishing ninth. Despite a difficult run, Zoe Renfrew finished in 17th, further showing the quality that the team has heading into next year, as they will eye a team medal at Nationals.
Speaking of rising talent, the Gray brothers posted solid results in the under-20 race, with older brother Ross taking individual bronze. Despite only recently recovering from an injury dating back to near the start of the year, Ryan was only 21 seconds behind his sibling, finishing an impressive sixth.
The youngest Gray, was Robert who finished in ninth place in the under-13s race, which should be good enough for selection for the West District team at Inter Counties Cross Country next month in Edinburgh. Keir Arthur was the other runner in the race, finishing in a respectable 52nd.
In the under-13 girls’ race, there were some West District debuts. A young team of Leah Collins (38), Orla McGeehan (50) and Hannah Thomson (59) saw a completed team as they finished tenth overall – a result they will hope to improve on later in the season. Orla’s older sister Hannah would feature in the under-15’s race finishing 62nd, behind teammate Abi Hammerman who finished 41st.
Looking to join Robert Gray in the inter districts team will be Sean Fischer-Keogh after finishing 11th in the under-15 boys’ race, as he sits on the cusp of selection for the West of Scotland team. First year under-15 Lewis Hainey finished in a decent 31st. The under 17 men had a couple of absentees, but Dylan Crawford’s 22nd place and Ben Nichol’s 29th will be encouraging signs ahead of the rest of the season.
On the topic of encouraging signs, the senior women will look fondly at their result, despite having an incomplete team. Nynke Mulholland continued her form with an 8th place finish, while Rachael Bushfield would finish 11th – both will be looking to make the West District team. A little down the road was Julie Gordon who continues to show signs of progression as she finished 19th and fourth veteran overall.
In a race where Inverclyde have oddly struggled in recent years, the medals poured in today and continue to forecast good omens ahead of the rest of the cross country season next year.
Renfrewshire XC Champs, Sat 25th November - Gourock
The medals were aplenty at the Renfrewshire Cross Country Championships as Inverclyde AC made the short trip to the Darroch Park for one of the most popular races of the year.
In the first race of the day, the under 11 boys won bronze, just two points behind second place Kilbarchan. Leading the team was Oliver Wagstaff who finished fifth after a strong finish. Not far behind in a packed field was his two counting teammates Fraser McLaughlin (11) and Aaron Harkins (12). Despite not counting for the team, there were some great runs by Philip McGeehan (14), Ashton Fulton (15), Liam Kane (21) and Euan Watters (27).
In the equivalent girls’ race, there was a team silver medal. Betty Fischer-Keogh, like Oliver in the boys’ race, finished fifth place, just ahead of her teammate Leona Conway who comfortably took sixth. The final counter for the team was Mirren Morrison who took 14th.
The under 13 boys continued the medal success with a team gold. Not only that, but all three counters for the team finished in the top four. Robert Gray would win the race by 22 seconds and Harris Morrison would win bronze ahead of final counter Tayven Adamson. Nathan Harkins would also start one of his first races for the club, finishing in tenth.
The girls would see another silver come their way in the under 13s race. Leah Collins led the contingent in sixth. A minute later, Orla McGeehan (9) would finish closely ahead of her teammate Erin Law (10).
The under 15 boys would replicate the success of the under 13s with a carbon copy performance by their three leading athletes. Josh Law would lead the field to take individual bronze, with Sean Fischer-Keogh taking a bronze, narrowly ahead of first-year under 15, Lewis Hainey. The 1,2,4 finish would ensure another gold medal. Elsewhere, Caleb Dunning (11) and Ross Davidson (12) would show that the team has a lot of depth heading into the West Districts, where the team will be looking for another team medal.
The girls would take a well-deserved bronze in their race, but it wouldn’t be the only bronze for Inverclyde in the race. Abi Hammerman took third place by close to a minute. Hannah McGeehan (9) and Leah Cameron (11) wrapped up the needed points to take bronze on a tough course.
The under 17 men saw no complete teams, but that didn’t stop the medals coming home. Adam Hay would take the gold just five seconds ahead of fellow Zebra, Dylan Crawford. The only two Inverclyde athletes in the race would take the gold and silver comfortably ahead of third.
The under 17 women saw medals in both team and individual, being the only complete team in the race. Cliona McCheyne would continue her recovery from injury with a gold medal, ahead of Zoe Renfrew who finished second. Nyah Gillan would battle through the mud to take fourth place and wrap up the team gold.
Many of the seniors have been running at these races since they were under 11s and two of the most dominant in these championships have been brothers Ross and Ryan Gray. Ross continued his fine form this season by winning the race ahead of younger brother Ryan, who looks to have returned to action in fine form after a six-month-long injury. John Bell would make sure the podium was all black and white, but his third place would come with some controversy. After falling on the final lap, he would be sent the wrong way and instead of finishing, would be pipped by Ryan. Whether he was second or third, John’s podium was all that mattered.
Then came the final three counters, with six needing to count for the team prize. Sean Gaffney (9) will be disappointed to not have been further up the field, but along with respectable performances by Andy Harkins (13) and Callum Hunter (15), the gold medal was firmly in the hands of a senior men’s team that continues to perform every race. David Henderson (17) will be happy to be getting back into shape ahead of the West Districts, while Nicholas Gemmell (20) showed again how well he can run, finishing third in the veteran 40 category. Jon Hammerman (22) would be not far behind, while Jason Kane would finish just inside the top 30. Ross, Ryan and Robert’s dad, Robert Gray Snr, would finish 49th ahead of Damien Mallet in 56th.
Perhaps the best performance of the day however, goes to Pete Tucker whose spike ripped in two during the race, making it difficult for him to run. After pulling out with a lap to go after concluding that he was going nowhere, he had a tea break and a sit down, before deciding to finish his final lap. Despite his leisurely break, he still finished 35th. Pulling out of a race, before deciding to finish it with a broken shoe shows the determination of cross country runners and how much it means to them, even if they finish a long way down.
A day that saw multiple wins individually and in the team category for Inverclyde as well as many podiums, Inverclyde look on track to pull off some great performances ahead of the West District Cross Country Championships in just over a week’s time.
The medals were aplenty at the Renfrewshire Cross Country Championships as Inverclyde AC made the short trip to the Darroch Park for one of the most popular races of the year.
In the first race of the day, the under 11 boys won bronze, just two points behind second place Kilbarchan. Leading the team was Oliver Wagstaff who finished fifth after a strong finish. Not far behind in a packed field was his two counting teammates Fraser McLaughlin (11) and Aaron Harkins (12). Despite not counting for the team, there were some great runs by Philip McGeehan (14), Ashton Fulton (15), Liam Kane (21) and Euan Watters (27).
In the equivalent girls’ race, there was a team silver medal. Betty Fischer-Keogh, like Oliver in the boys’ race, finished fifth place, just ahead of her teammate Leona Conway who comfortably took sixth. The final counter for the team was Mirren Morrison who took 14th.
The under 13 boys continued the medal success with a team gold. Not only that, but all three counters for the team finished in the top four. Robert Gray would win the race by 22 seconds and Harris Morrison would win bronze ahead of final counter Tayven Adamson. Nathan Harkins would also start one of his first races for the club, finishing in tenth.
The girls would see another silver come their way in the under 13s race. Leah Collins led the contingent in sixth. A minute later, Orla McGeehan (9) would finish closely ahead of her teammate Erin Law (10).
The under 15 boys would replicate the success of the under 13s with a carbon copy performance by their three leading athletes. Josh Law would lead the field to take individual bronze, with Sean Fischer-Keogh taking a bronze, narrowly ahead of first-year under 15, Lewis Hainey. The 1,2,4 finish would ensure another gold medal. Elsewhere, Caleb Dunning (11) and Ross Davidson (12) would show that the team has a lot of depth heading into the West Districts, where the team will be looking for another team medal.
The girls would take a well-deserved bronze in their race, but it wouldn’t be the only bronze for Inverclyde in the race. Abi Hammerman took third place by close to a minute. Hannah McGeehan (9) and Leah Cameron (11) wrapped up the needed points to take bronze on a tough course.
The under 17 men saw no complete teams, but that didn’t stop the medals coming home. Adam Hay would take the gold just five seconds ahead of fellow Zebra, Dylan Crawford. The only two Inverclyde athletes in the race would take the gold and silver comfortably ahead of third.
The under 17 women saw medals in both team and individual, being the only complete team in the race. Cliona McCheyne would continue her recovery from injury with a gold medal, ahead of Zoe Renfrew who finished second. Nyah Gillan would battle through the mud to take fourth place and wrap up the team gold.
Many of the seniors have been running at these races since they were under 11s and two of the most dominant in these championships have been brothers Ross and Ryan Gray. Ross continued his fine form this season by winning the race ahead of younger brother Ryan, who looks to have returned to action in fine form after a six-month-long injury. John Bell would make sure the podium was all black and white, but his third place would come with some controversy. After falling on the final lap, he would be sent the wrong way and instead of finishing, would be pipped by Ryan. Whether he was second or third, John’s podium was all that mattered.
Then came the final three counters, with six needing to count for the team prize. Sean Gaffney (9) will be disappointed to not have been further up the field, but along with respectable performances by Andy Harkins (13) and Callum Hunter (15), the gold medal was firmly in the hands of a senior men’s team that continues to perform every race. David Henderson (17) will be happy to be getting back into shape ahead of the West Districts, while Nicholas Gemmell (20) showed again how well he can run, finishing third in the veteran 40 category. Jon Hammerman (22) would be not far behind, while Jason Kane would finish just inside the top 30. Ross, Ryan and Robert’s dad, Robert Gray Snr, would finish 49th ahead of Damien Mallet in 56th.
Perhaps the best performance of the day however, goes to Pete Tucker whose spike ripped in two during the race, making it difficult for him to run. After pulling out with a lap to go after concluding that he was going nowhere, he had a tea break and a sit down, before deciding to finish his final lap. Despite his leisurely break, he still finished 35th. Pulling out of a race, before deciding to finish it with a broken shoe shows the determination of cross country runners and how much it means to them, even if they finish a long way down.
A day that saw multiple wins individually and in the team category for Inverclyde as well as many podiums, Inverclyde look on track to pull off some great performances ahead of the West District Cross Country Championships in just over a week’s time.
National XC Relays, Cumbernauld - Sat 28th October
Inverclyde AC’s men showed that previous form does not always tell the story as they stormed to victory at the Scottish National Cross Country Relay Championships.
Despite a difficult start to the season, the A team pulled out an unexpected result that saw the side win their fifth national relay title since they first lifted the trophy 19 years ago. Their last win came in
2011 of which two members of that winning team remained: Andy Douglas and Craig Ruddy. They were joined by John Bell and under 20, Ross Gray.
After fourth place in the district relays two weeks ago, a strong showing was needed. Luckily, elite mountain runner, Andy Douglas, led the team out on the first leg. He would take the lead, which the team would maintain for the remainder of the race. John Bell continued a strong year before Gray, who showed his true form the previous week, put in yet another solid run to set up Ruddy for the last leg.
Having previously stood on the podium a whopping eight times at the national relays, including three of the team’s previous four wins here, Ruddy had the experience to hold off a fast-finishing Aberdeen team to win the title by over 20 seconds. The form book was thrown out of the window as the Scottish title returned to Greenock.
Elsewhere, the women’s team came together for the biggest relay of the year to record a top ten finish. Julie Gordon led out as she continues to get back to fitness. Sharon Muir returned to move into the top 20 which was further improved by Rachael Bushfield and finally Nynke Mulholland who ended the last leg in tenth position, one of the highest in previous years.
In the rest of the men’s race, Mark Pollard proved to bring great experience to the B team as he recorded the fastest time in the quartet on the second leg. Sean Gaffney continued his impressive form this season on the opening leg, while Callum Hunter and Pete Tucker completed the team, with the latter debuting over the course, bringing them home in 19 th .
David Henderson’s injury woes seem to be behind him after an improved run in the C team that finished 34 th , while the D team were 77 th . After six years absent from the top step, Inverclyde’s men’s team showed how to become worthy
national champions – dominating from start to finish.
Inverclyde AC’s men showed that previous form does not always tell the story as they stormed to victory at the Scottish National Cross Country Relay Championships.
Despite a difficult start to the season, the A team pulled out an unexpected result that saw the side win their fifth national relay title since they first lifted the trophy 19 years ago. Their last win came in
2011 of which two members of that winning team remained: Andy Douglas and Craig Ruddy. They were joined by John Bell and under 20, Ross Gray.
After fourth place in the district relays two weeks ago, a strong showing was needed. Luckily, elite mountain runner, Andy Douglas, led the team out on the first leg. He would take the lead, which the team would maintain for the remainder of the race. John Bell continued a strong year before Gray, who showed his true form the previous week, put in yet another solid run to set up Ruddy for the last leg.
Having previously stood on the podium a whopping eight times at the national relays, including three of the team’s previous four wins here, Ruddy had the experience to hold off a fast-finishing Aberdeen team to win the title by over 20 seconds. The form book was thrown out of the window as the Scottish title returned to Greenock.
Elsewhere, the women’s team came together for the biggest relay of the year to record a top ten finish. Julie Gordon led out as she continues to get back to fitness. Sharon Muir returned to move into the top 20 which was further improved by Rachael Bushfield and finally Nynke Mulholland who ended the last leg in tenth position, one of the highest in previous years.
In the rest of the men’s race, Mark Pollard proved to bring great experience to the B team as he recorded the fastest time in the quartet on the second leg. Sean Gaffney continued his impressive form this season on the opening leg, while Callum Hunter and Pete Tucker completed the team, with the latter debuting over the course, bringing them home in 19 th .
David Henderson’s injury woes seem to be behind him after an improved run in the C team that finished 34 th , while the D team were 77 th . After six years absent from the top step, Inverclyde’s men’s team showed how to become worthy
national champions – dominating from start to finish.
Renfrewshire XC Relays, Pollock Park - Sun 23rd October
After disappointment at the Wests, there were better fortunes at the Renfrewshire Cross Country Relays in Pollok Park. In an attempt to bring home both gold and silver medals, the men’s A and B teams were mixed. Usual A-listers, Craig Ruddy and Ross Gray ran for the B team alongside Callum Hunter and Peter Tucker, while Jon Hammerman was promoted to the A team after an impressive few weeks alongside the team of Sean Gaffney, Mark Pollard and John Bell.
Mark and Peter started things off for the teams, coming in in first and fourth. However, Tucker’s teammate, Ross Gray switched the fortunes of the B team as he posted the fastest time of the day, overtaking the A team’s Sean Gaffney in the process as they sat one and two after two legs. Ruddy and Bell consolidated these positions, stretching out the gap with Callum Hunter bringing home the win for the B team. Despite a great start to the relay season, Jon Hammerman couldn’t hold off Bellahouston Harriers for second and the A team instead took home a respectable third just nine seconds adrift of second.
Elsewhere, there was a return from injury for Michael Houston who anchored the C team to a respectable tenth position and a solid first race of the relay season for Nicholas Gemmell, not far off his counterparts in the higher teams. Rachael Bushfield impressed again as the solo female competitor, posting the fourth fastest time of the day.
Having posted some decent results so far in the season, both teams will be looking towards the National Cross Country Relays to prove again that Inverclyde can hang with the hardest hitters in Scotland.
After disappointment at the Wests, there were better fortunes at the Renfrewshire Cross Country Relays in Pollok Park. In an attempt to bring home both gold and silver medals, the men’s A and B teams were mixed. Usual A-listers, Craig Ruddy and Ross Gray ran for the B team alongside Callum Hunter and Peter Tucker, while Jon Hammerman was promoted to the A team after an impressive few weeks alongside the team of Sean Gaffney, Mark Pollard and John Bell.
Mark and Peter started things off for the teams, coming in in first and fourth. However, Tucker’s teammate, Ross Gray switched the fortunes of the B team as he posted the fastest time of the day, overtaking the A team’s Sean Gaffney in the process as they sat one and two after two legs. Ruddy and Bell consolidated these positions, stretching out the gap with Callum Hunter bringing home the win for the B team. Despite a great start to the relay season, Jon Hammerman couldn’t hold off Bellahouston Harriers for second and the A team instead took home a respectable third just nine seconds adrift of second.
Elsewhere, there was a return from injury for Michael Houston who anchored the C team to a respectable tenth position and a solid first race of the relay season for Nicholas Gemmell, not far off his counterparts in the higher teams. Rachael Bushfield impressed again as the solo female competitor, posting the fourth fastest time of the day.
Having posted some decent results so far in the season, both teams will be looking towards the National Cross Country Relays to prove again that Inverclyde can hang with the hardest hitters in Scotland.
West District XC Relays, Hamilton - Sun 16th October
The West Districts, a championship where Inverclyde usually flourish at, proved to cause difficulties as the men’s team narrowly missed the medals in a topsy-turvy race.
Missing arguably their quickest runner in Craig Ruddy, captain Sean Gaffney was in charge on the first leg, finishing just outside the top ten on the first leg. John Bell finished leg two with the fourth quickest time of the day, lifting the team to fourth, where they stayed for the rest of the race, despite Ross Gray and Mark Pollard’s best efforts. Just twelve seconds separated Inverclyde from a bronze medal.
The women’s team’s problem was down to a lack of available runners. With many injured and the under 17 runners running in the junior race, Rachael Bushfield and Julie Gordon were left without a finishing team, yet they still managed some solid times, with Julie bringing the team up to fourth at the end of the second leg.
Jon Hammerman impressed again in the B team, posting the fifth quickest time from the Inverclyde men and there was a return to competition for Thomas Jamieson and Robert Gray in the C team respectively.
The West Districts, a championship where Inverclyde usually flourish at, proved to cause difficulties as the men’s team narrowly missed the medals in a topsy-turvy race.
Missing arguably their quickest runner in Craig Ruddy, captain Sean Gaffney was in charge on the first leg, finishing just outside the top ten on the first leg. John Bell finished leg two with the fourth quickest time of the day, lifting the team to fourth, where they stayed for the rest of the race, despite Ross Gray and Mark Pollard’s best efforts. Just twelve seconds separated Inverclyde from a bronze medal.
The women’s team’s problem was down to a lack of available runners. With many injured and the under 17 runners running in the junior race, Rachael Bushfield and Julie Gordon were left without a finishing team, yet they still managed some solid times, with Julie bringing the team up to fourth at the end of the second leg.
Jon Hammerman impressed again in the B team, posting the fifth quickest time from the Inverclyde men and there was a return to competition for Thomas Jamieson and Robert Gray in the C team respectively.
George Cummings Road Relays, Houston - Sat 8th October
Despite not winning their opening race of the winter, there was a silver lining for Inverclyde as they took a respectable second in the George Cummings Road Relays in Houston. The team of Ross Gray, Craig Ruddy, Mark Pollard and John Bell proved to be a strong quartet once again, but found themselves narrowly edged out for the win by surprise victors, Giffnock North.
Throughout the four legs, the black and white stripes were always in the medal positions: youngster Ross Gray ended the first leg in third before Craig Ruddy posted the fastest lap in the team while moving the team up to second. Despite Craig’s quick time, Giffnock North took the lead after Luke Traynor posted a dominant quickest time of the day – faster than Scottish marathon runner Callum Hawkins. Even with good runs from Pollard and Bell, they were just four seconds behind in the end having to settle for silver.
On the women’s side, there was an interesting dynamic in the A team. Rachael Bushfield led the trio to seventh, anchored by two of the athletes that she coaches. Rachael’s first leg run was sixth quickest of the day and brought her side into fifth. The two under 17 athletes to follow did the team proud in strong shows – particularly for second leg runner Zoe Renfrew. Despite it being her first run at the hilly course, Zoe posted the eleventh quickest time of the day and put the team into third place heading into the final leg. Despite her lack of experience in the senior ranks, Jennifer Lyne
posted a decent time to bring the team home comfortably inside the top ten. With such little senior experience in the A team, it was a strong performance.
Youth was present again in the men’s race where the B team were led out by under 17 Cameron Watson, finishing ninth, with the returning Andy Harkins and David Henderson running legs three and four to finish 12 th .
There was also a strong performance by John Hammerman who rounded off the C team as he showed his worth by matching some of the times of the B team. There was also a debut in the D team for another under 17, Ben Nichol, who was the quickest in his team by a long stretch, setting him up well for any future senior appearances.
A bittersweet end to the men’s race cannot dampen the positives: an array of young talent making their debuts here alongside a number of returns in time for the relay season.
Despite not winning their opening race of the winter, there was a silver lining for Inverclyde as they took a respectable second in the George Cummings Road Relays in Houston. The team of Ross Gray, Craig Ruddy, Mark Pollard and John Bell proved to be a strong quartet once again, but found themselves narrowly edged out for the win by surprise victors, Giffnock North.
Throughout the four legs, the black and white stripes were always in the medal positions: youngster Ross Gray ended the first leg in third before Craig Ruddy posted the fastest lap in the team while moving the team up to second. Despite Craig’s quick time, Giffnock North took the lead after Luke Traynor posted a dominant quickest time of the day – faster than Scottish marathon runner Callum Hawkins. Even with good runs from Pollard and Bell, they were just four seconds behind in the end having to settle for silver.
On the women’s side, there was an interesting dynamic in the A team. Rachael Bushfield led the trio to seventh, anchored by two of the athletes that she coaches. Rachael’s first leg run was sixth quickest of the day and brought her side into fifth. The two under 17 athletes to follow did the team proud in strong shows – particularly for second leg runner Zoe Renfrew. Despite it being her first run at the hilly course, Zoe posted the eleventh quickest time of the day and put the team into third place heading into the final leg. Despite her lack of experience in the senior ranks, Jennifer Lyne
posted a decent time to bring the team home comfortably inside the top ten. With such little senior experience in the A team, it was a strong performance.
Youth was present again in the men’s race where the B team were led out by under 17 Cameron Watson, finishing ninth, with the returning Andy Harkins and David Henderson running legs three and four to finish 12 th .
There was also a strong performance by John Hammerman who rounded off the C team as he showed his worth by matching some of the times of the B team. There was also a debut in the D team for another under 17, Ben Nichol, who was the quickest in his team by a long stretch, setting him up well for any future senior appearances.
A bittersweet end to the men’s race cannot dampen the positives: an array of young talent making their debuts here alongside a number of returns in time for the relay season.