Juniors Contribute to Team Borders Success

The East District Cross-Country League moved on to Livingston on Saturday 24^th for the second of three legs and there was a significant contribution from Moorfoot juniors in helping Team Borders again prove to be the leading force across the seven age-group races.

On a perfect if chilly day for cross-country running, the muddy underfoot conditions proved a tough test but one to which the Borders runners rose with vigour.  Leithenburn recruit Craig Angus showed good improvement to finish 7^th and 3^rd team counter in the U11 Boys race. Barring a non-return in the 3^rd and final leg in January, Team Borders' incredible 93-point overall lead in the league is unassailable.

The U-11 Girls also took the team spoils with Beth Hobbs home 4^th and 2^nd counter and newcomer Molly Falconer, who ran steadily for 9^th in only her second competitive cross-country race, giving a team total of 15 points and an 11-point winning margin. They too lead going into the 3^rd leg, but their current 15 point cushion over Edinburgh will need some strong defending.

The young U-13 Boys team showed good improvement from leg 1. Euan Hood was 15^th helping Team Borders to finish 3^rd team on the day just ahead of Edinburgh.  With all of the team eligible again next year, they are doing well to lie 4^th overall.  Selkirk based Zaynah Aziz produced an excellent individual win in the U-13 Girls race. Newcomer Fiona Grant had a tremendous first outing at this level to finish strongly for 11^th with Mairi Wallace just behind in 13^th – all 3 counters being Moorfoots and shaping up nicely for a medal challenge at the East District Champs in Cupar on 8 December when it’s back to club representation rather than Team Borders. The girls lie 2nd overall in the league with 61 points in what is a hotly contested age-group with Central leading on 52 points and Edinburgh close behind in 3^rd on 64 points.

In the combined U-15 Girls/U-17 Women’s race it was heartening to see Sophie Collins show some signs of a return to being competitive at this level with her 21^st place finish for Team Borders helping them to 3^rd on the day behind two strong Edinburgh teams. Edinburgh A have an unassailable lead overall and the Team Borders girls will have to pull out all the stops in leg 3 if they are to make up the current 8-point deficit on Edinburgh B for the runners-up spot.

The strength of the Team Borders U15 Boys squad was demonstrated by their team win despite the absence of top performer Nathan Cox from Gala. Kobe Stevens showed good commitment to come home as first counter in 8^th. But with Edinburgh’s team likely to be strengthened by the return of UK no.1 Josh Kerr for the 3^rd leg, the 19-point overall cushion which Team Borders will enjoy going into that final race in January is by no means secure.

The U-17 Men’s squad is stronger still and they again dominated their team race with a trio of Moorfoot counters. Jacob Adkin ran a committed second lap of the 4 mile course to take 2^nd place with Selkirk based training partners John McLean and Jack Stanners in 3^rd and 5^th, Jack perhaps suffering in the latter stages from setting the early pace. Their 63 point overall lead ahead of Edinburgh would appear to be at risk only from a non-return in the 3^rd and final leg. With Lucas Cheskin backing them up in 18^th, the boys look nailed on to medal at the East Champs at Cupar – but what colour this time after their team bronze last year in Aberdeen?

OTHER MOORFOOT RESULTS

U11 Boys:  28^th Finlay Collins

U13 Girls:  34^th Ailsa Innes

U15 Boys: 29^th Ruairidh Britton; 32^nd David Collins

U17/U15 Girls: 33^rd Niamh Shaw (Moorfoot)

In the senior women’s race Scout Adkin, who had missed the previous week’s Scottish Students Championship with a minor calf strain, showed no signs of any hindrance to finish a commendable 10^th overall and 1^st U-20.