The 2017 Disability Sport Fife (DSF) cross country championships were held at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy. The championships are organised by DSF with considerable support from Fife AC and Kirkcaldy Rugby Club. Primary and Secondary Schools from throughout Fife with Departments for pupils with additional support needs participated as well as Fife AC club members and athletes who attend DSF weekly run, jump and throws sessions.
These were the third Fife Cross Country Championships and numbers have grown steadily over the three year period, culminating in a record registration this year of 133. In 2015, 77 athletes lined up and last year the number rose to 84. Levenmouth Academy, Bell Baxter HS, Madras College, Lochgelly HS, Balwearie HS and Woodmill HS competed for the Russell Hogg Inter Schools Trophy won by Buckhaven HS in 2016. Races were run over 500m, 1K, 2K and 3K.
A large number of Pitreavie Primary pupils took part for the first time. Ruby Jamieson and Tyler Burt won their respective 500m races in 7.01 and 3.35. Rimbleton Primary pupils were taking for the second year over 1K and Joel Robertson, Alexander Scott, Garry Patrick and Walter Donaldson were race winners. Keri MacNicol from Burntisland Primary won the P5 race for physically disabled athletes and Rosslyn pupil Michael Phimister won the 500m race for S1 ASN boys. Other 500m race winners were Jonathan McCormack S1 Balwearie HS, Joy Hutchison S1 Levenmouth Academy, Eilidh Lennox S2 Bell Baxter HS, Shay Dowie S3 Madras College, and Mary Nutman S3 Balwearie HS.
Sophie Coughlin from S1 Bell Baxter HS added the Fife 1K title to the Scottish Championships title won earlier in the month in Glasgow. Sophie’s 1K time was the fastest by a girl on the day. Jenna Richardson S2 Madras College and Mari Davidson S2 Levenmouth Academy won the final two races for S1/S2 girls. Woodmill HS boys dominated the equivalent events for junior boys with Richard Myers S1 and Edwin Barron S2 winning races in 8.23 and 5.45 respectively. Edwin had the fastest 1K time in the junior section.
Scottish Champion Rosalind Penman S3 from Balwearie HS won her race in 7.17, the second fastest time by a girl in the championships. Chloe Hutchison S5 Madras College and Kerry Kotlewski S4 Bell Baxter HS were the final two winners in the girls 1K races. Connor Brown S3 Woodmill HS was the fastest physically disabled athlete over 1K and and Dylon McKay S3 Levenmouth Academy the athlete who recorded the fastest 1K time of the day. Arran Howe S5 Bell Baxter HS won the S4-S6 race and in so doing set the second fastest 1K time of the day.
Louise Ferrier S2 Levenmouth Academy and Holly Jane Gray S4-S6 Madras College won the junior and senior girls 2K titles in 18.25 and 19.48. Allan Wilson S2 Levenmouth Academy was the boys junior champion with a 2K time of 11.37 and Matthew Blair S5 the boys senior champion with the fastest 2K time of the day, 11.20. Appearing in his first Fife Championships, Phillip Callander from West Fife Community Support Services won the senior men’s 2K ASN race and Michael Mellon Pitreavie AAC the equivalent race for senior men with a physical impairment.
Fife AC athletes dominated the Senior Open 3K with Sam Fernando adding the Fife title to the Scottish Championships title he won recently at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. Sam’s Fife AC team mate and 2016 Fife and Scottish Champion Owen Miller, ran a splendid race to finish second. Owen is on his way back following a spell on the sidelines through injury. Their times were 12.58 and 13.11.
The two winning team captains contested the senior boys 3K race with Brandon Eason S6 Balwearie HS finishing two minutes ahead of Richard Allan S4 Levenmouth Academy. The senior men 3K B race was won by the ever improving Carter Taylor Fife AC (15.25) with Ryan Spearman Fife AC and Maurice Paterson Fife AC finishing in second and third place and crossing the line together.
Levenmouth Academy and Balwearie HS shared the honours at the end of the day in the team competition for the Russlel Hogg Trophy with 19 points each and will share the Trophy for the next 12 months.
One photo includes a section of the athletes who took part and the other photo includes representatives from Balwearie HS and Levenmouth Academy only. Michael Mellon presented the Russell Hogg Trophy to the winning captains, Brandon Eason Balwearie HS and Richard Allan Levenmouth Academy.
Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife
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