Over 60 junior athletes with additional support needs competed in Round 1 of the East Series Cross Country Championships at Peffermill in Edinburgh. Disability Sport Fife had the largest representation of athletes in one of the most popular occasions on the annual calendar of events. The East Series is organised by Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport and the penultimate race is held in Fife at the Beveridge Park and organised by Disability Sport Fife and Fife AC.
Athletes from Bell Baxter HS, Balwearie HS, Woodmill HS and Lochgelly HS took part. Cross country is very popular in Fife and prepares the young athletes for the 2018 Track and Field season. Owen Miller and Sam Fernando from Balwearie HS and Bell Baxter HS respectively established themselves in the East Series Cross Country events before becoming outstanding middle distance athletes with Fife AC.
In the girls 1K race Fife produced four year group winners through Gemma Seaton S1 (Woodmill HS), Saskia Taylor S3 (Woodmill HS), Megan Wilson S4 (Woodmill HS), Derry Reilly S5 (Lochgelly HS). In the equivalent for boys Nathan Smith S2 (Woodmill HS), Michael Robertson S3 (Woodmill HS), Ryan Downie S4 (Woodmill HS) and Scott Combe S6 (Woodmill HS) were the year group winners.
In the 2K race for girls, Michelle and Louise Harley S5 from Lochgelly HS finished first and second respectively. Edwin Barron S3 (Woodmill HS), Shakeel Ul-Haq S4 (Lochgelly HS), Arran Howe S5 (Bell Baxter HS) and Matthew Blair S6 (Woodmill HS) were year group winners in the 2K race for boys.
Nine year group race wins for the young athletes from Woodmill HS in the first of the 2017/2018 East Series of cross country races. A really impressive start and the pupils are already looking forward to race two next month.
Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife