WEEKEND UPDATE ONE: NATIONAL RECORD, NATIVE RECORD AND TWO WORLD YOUTH QUALIFIERS ARE DAY ONE HIGHLIGHTS AT SCOTTISH CHAMPS

20th June 2009

Scottish number one Hen Paxton (Birchfield) recorded a new national pole vault best of 4.06m in Pitreavie today (Saturday 20th June) – day one of the Scottish National Championships, supported by McCain.

Paxton (pictured, thanks to Alistair Wright), ranked fourth in the UK for 2009 to date with an indoor best of 4.12, has been frustratingly inconsistent this season – her summer best of 4.10m actually set indoors on June 6th – but she put all of that behind her today with an impressive victory ahead of Kim Skinner (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) in second (3.80m) and Claire Kennedy (Edinburgh AC) in third and was unfortunate not to get closer in her attempt at the Scottish Commonwealth Games selection standard of 4.15m.

“It’s been a long time coming,” she said, “I’m really glad I’ve got the Scottish record and I’m happy I did it here in Scotland.”

“The Commonwealth standard is easily there,” she added, “I just need to pull it all together. I’m definitely getting more consistent.”

Susan McKelvie (Edinburgh AC), won the women’s hammer with a 59.33m effort - exceeding the UK Power of 10 target of 57.00m - but it was Myra Perkins (Falkirk Victoria) who once again earned the plaudits with her third IAAF World Youth Championships qualifying mark, finishing second (54.13m) and building on her two previous standards set in the Bank of Scotland Grand Prix Hammerama (53.81m) and National Junior Athletics League (54.99m), both in Grangemouth.

Scottish Schools champion Greg Louden (Lasswade AAC) secured his first qualifying mark for the World Youth Championships (Bressanone, Italy from 8th - 12th July), clocking a brilliant 48.17s in the men’s 400m to finish third in his heat (standard 48.25s).

Undoubtedly, the men’s 400m final should provide one of the key highlights of tomorrow’s programme; of the six athletes to reach the final, five – including Sean Watson (Shettleston), who recorded sub-48s for the first time ever - raced to PB’s in their heats.

In the women’s 3000m SC, Lennie Waite (Rice University), Scottish national record holder with a PB and Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 9:50.48, made her competitive debut in Scotland and marked the occasion with a Scottish Native record and Championship Best Performance of 10:19.21.

Second-placed Emma Raven (Chester-Le-Street) was rewarded for her efforts with a lifetime best (10:43.94), exceeding her previous best, set when finishing fourth at the McCain Loughborough International in mid-May, by 11 seconds.

Other notable individual performances came from Jayne Nisbet (Edinburgh AC) in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.80m for victory in a welcome return to form, and Nick Smith (Shaftesbury Barnet), who won the men’s 100m final in 10.72s.

Full results are available through the following link.

Sunday’s action kicks off with the men’s hammer at 10.30am on the in field and the women’s 100mH heats on the track at 11.30am. A full timetable can be accessed through the link.

Triple Beijing Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius will compete in the men's 200m heats from 14:10 on Sunday 21st June, and if he progresses, the semi finals at 15:20 and the final at 16:25.

Admission is free.