Day one at Aberdeen – 4J Seniors grab cash as U17s land titles

Saturday 13th August 2022

Sarah Malone celebrates Senior Women’s 100m gold with silver medallist Stacey Downie (left) and bronze medallist Kelsey Stewart (photo by Bobby Gavin)

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Results via our Live link

Three athletes landed shares of our £5000 prize pot on day one of the 4J Studios Senior Champs at Aberdeen.

Sprinter Krishawn Aiken, 5000m runner Annabel Simpson and Frame Runner Gavin Drysdale all posted performances which were inside the ‘bronze’ standards – with Gavin in fact landing a gold share and a bronze share.

All three gave good performances on a day when the warm conditions ensured pleasant viewing for spectators at the superb Aberdeen Sports Village facility.

GB international Seren Bundy-Davies made the trip to Aberdeen and surged clear to win the Senior Women’s 400m gold in fine style. The Welsh athlete clocked 54.07 and will return to take on the 200m.

Aiken plans a 200m title bit, too, after winning the 100m in 10.49 (-0.4).

‘I have to admit that trying to get shares in the prize-pot was an incentive,’’ said the Kilbarchan AAC athlete.

‘The goals I had for the season have not quite materialised – I was within three hundredths of the 200m qualifying standard for the Commonwealths – so I wanted to come here and try and get wins and good times.

‘I’m pleased to get inside the bronze standard in the final although the wind direction had changed a bit from the semi-final.’

Cian O’Donnell took silver as Ethan Pottie landed the bronze.

Commonwealth Games 4x100m relay runner, Sarah Malone, was an impressive winner in the Women’s 100m final in 11.84 (close to her 11.82 PB) as Stacey Downie and Kelsey Stewart earned podium places once again at the Scottish champs.

Photos by Bobby Gavin on Facebook

Gavin Drysdale in Frame Running action (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Annabel Simpson dominated the Women’s 5000m from start to finish as she chased a windfall.

The bronze standard of 16:25.00 always looked well within her compass on a solo run and the Fife AC athlete’s winning time of  was close to the 16:06.95 for silver.

‘I enjoyed that and I’m happy with the win and the run,’ said Annabel, followed home in that race by U20 champion Meredith Reid of Inverclyde AC.

‘I was proud I made the Games qualifying standard in the 5000m but of course there are mixed feelings looking on. You want the Scots to do well and Eilish, Sarah (Inglis) and Eloise (Walker) all ran quicker than me so you have to accept that.

‘I do think we’ve women running 5000m now faster than in recent years and hopefully we can help motivate each other.’

Gavin Drysdale claimed a short of the pot, too, with a strong 100m RR3 performance in the Frame Running sprints.

GB international Gavin clocked 16.85 and that was inside the bronze mark of 17.06 to earn himself a share of the overall pot.

And Gavin added to that with a gold share performance of 73.46 in the RR3 400m race (below the 74.06 required).

Aidan Thompson won the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase in 9:19.44 and described that victory on Twitter as a ‘Covid bounce-back’ and his first Senior Champs title.

Greg Millar in javelin action (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Greg Millar made it 10 javelin title wins in a row with his best measured at 66.34m.

‘I’m pleased with that because I contracted Norovirus a few weeks ago and lost eight kilos,’ said Greg.

‘Training and competing was impossible and I’m only now just getting back to fitness so I will try and keep the season going a little longer.

‘I’m from Aberdeen originally and my mum’s family is from here so I like throwing here.

‘Kirsty Law won 13 in a row (or in 14 years, given Covid cancellation) but she’s broken that streak by being selected for the Europeans! I will need to keep coming back and try and get another four to get to 14.

‘I wish I could throw in Scotland more often to try and encourage youngsters into the javelin but it’s not financially viable as I live down south.’

Also in the throws, Chris Bennett returned from Birmingham 2022 to retain his Scottish hammer title with a best of 68.28m.

The Women’s discus gold went to VP-Glasgow’s Keira Maxwell with 43.53m.  Taking home the Senior Women’s shot gold was Amy Kennedy of Cumbernauld AAC after a last round throw of 13.23m.

Giffnock North’s Reuben Nairne won the Men’s pole vault with 4.70m.

Bera Ajala won the Men’s Triple jump with 14.40m. Claire McGarvey won her first Scottish Senior title in the Women’s High Jump with 1.68m.

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U17 Champions

Men’s javelin – Zak Fearn (Inverness Harriers) 44.50m
Men’s triple jump – Louis Whyte (Moorfoot Runners) 12.85m
Men’s pole vault – Finn Bryce (Aberdeen AAC) 3.25m
Men’s hammer – Callum Hendry (VP Glasgow) 59.03m

Women’s discus – Meghan Porterfield (VP Glasgow) 41.74m
Women’s shot put – Meghan Porterfield (VP Glasgow) 15.05m
Women’s high jump – Jenna Hilditch (VP Glasgow) 1.63m
Women’s triple jump – Libby White (Ayr Seaforth AC) 12.04m

Men’s 400m hurdles – Ben Heron (North Ayrshire AAC) 54.53
Men’s 100m – Dean Patterson (Glasgow School of Sport) 10.79
Men’s 1500m Steeplechase –

Women’s 300m hurdles – May Mcdonald (Blaydon Harriers) 46.18
Women’s 100m – Kaya Slater (Reading AC) 12.22

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Tags: 4J Senior and U17 Champs, Aberdeen, Annabel Simpson, Gavin Drysdale, Krishawn Aiken