Jack Lawrie savoured a hat-trick of gold medals in the U20 Age Groups Champs at Aberdeen.
The Pitreavie AAC athlete started off with victory in his favoured event, the 400m Hurdles. He then won the 110m Hurdles in 14.31 and rounded it all off with a third gold in the 400m flat and a PB.
Lawrie was not the only U20 athlete to notch a hat-trick. Fraser Ashman, a Scot based in Crewe, picked up treble gold in discus, shot and javelin.
European bronze medallist Chris O’Hare made it a special day for some of the U20 and U15 medal winners as he helped out on presentations on Sunday afternoon after watching his brother, Dominic, compete in the 800m and the 1500m.
In all, it was a highly successful weekend for athletics in Scotland with a massive entry of almost 1100 athletes involved with U13 and U17 action on the Saturday. There are now national champions from Stornoway and Shetland as well as many of the more traditional clubs.
And, talking of brothers, an hour or two after Laura Muir posted a PB at the Birmingham Grand Prix, there was an 800m U20 bronze for her younger sibling, Rory, of Dundee Hawkhill Harriers.
‘I’ve won two titles before on the same day but never three,’ smiled Lawrie, who is coached by the remarkable John Macdonald, father of 1980 Olympic medallist Linsey.
‘It was tough by the time we came to the last final, in the 400m, but actually that was the one I enjoyed the most. It’s been hard work but really enjoyable.’
Pitreavie sprinters were to the fore elsewhere, too, with Declan Brennan winning the 100m and 200m double at U20 to add to Lawrie’s hat-trick.
Andrew Lawler was another man on form. The Edinburgh AC athlete is heading to the World Mountain Running champs with Team GB and NI in Italy in a couple of weeks and took the 2000m steeplechase title as his final ‘warm-up’.
Andrew delivered a PB with his 6.05.98 run and his sister, Hannah, took silver in the U20 Women’s pole vault almost at the same time. That title was won by Anna Gordon as she attempted a pole vault U20 championship record of 3.90m but had to settle for 3.70m.
Just before Lawrie’s 400m success, Aberdeen AAC’s Kelsey Stewart was a home winner in the women’s one-lap race at U20 level – Kelsey’s 55.74 winning time was three seconds ahead of the silver medallist.
The U20 champions included Euan Gillham, Annabel Simpson, Mhairi Hendry, Gavin McArdle, Moira Stewart, Elizabeth Musgrove, Ellen Robertson, Anna Nelson, Fraser O’Rourke, Laura McCracken, Ross Douglas, Ellie Fulton, Callum Alexander, Emma Canning, Max Lancaster, Joseph Amouzou, Mia Shepherd, Dionne Milne.
There was a Lasswade double in the long jump for Rachel Robertston and Jordan Charters.
In the U15 age bracket one of the stand-out performances was definitely by Ayr Seaforth youngster, Andrew Peck. Like Lawrie, he collected a hat-trick of gold in discus, shot and hammer to make the long weekend trip from Ayr to Aberdeen well worthwhile.
scottishathletics chief executve Nigel Holl said: ‘I feel the Age Group champs are about participation and performance.
‘We want young athletes to have something to aim for during the season and that’s why we have the National Championships towards this period in August.
‘It should be a goal to aim for – a chance to get a PB in your favoured event, compete in the final or push for a place on the podium for the medals.
‘If you are a junior athlete making great strides, particularly in the older age brackets, it is important to start thinking about ‘performing when it counts’.
‘For many of the you people here this weekend, it certainly does count and the number of PBs tell their own story – athletes coming here and giving their best.
‘Also, for successive years now, we’ve seen this as a key weekend for club development and what I would call a ‘performance gathering’.
‘There is ‘bonding’ taking place for many clubs who are making a weekend of it in Aberdeen, or even travelling to and from the Age Group Champs for one day. And then there is the inter-action between clubs and the friendly rivalries among athletes which are important to stir competive instincts.
‘So it has become a great forum for people to have conversations about athletes and I think the ‘atmosphere’ around the place over Saturday and right through to late Sunday afternoon has been really good.
‘The Aberdeen Sports Village is a great venue, too. We now need somewhere with a significant indoor area where athletes and coaches can gather and warm-up if necessary. It works well in that regard.
‘Finally let me once again say thanks to all the key people involved – that’s particularly the officials involved who put in such a sterling shift over the weekend and volunteer coaches and helpers at clubs.
‘We regard the Age Groups Champs as essential to what we do at scottishathletics and to have had almost 1100 entries received and literally hundreds of young athletes competing is an encouragement for everyone.’
*The Scottish National Cross Country championships will be held on Sunday 22 February 2015 at Falkirk. See www.scottishathletics.org.uk for cross country and indoor season dates
