Jaguars go forth! Athletes deliver fine team effort in Derby

Monday 7th July 2025

Photos by Gordon Innes

Report by Moira Maguire

Glasgow Jaguars claimed a fine fourth place finish at Derby in Match Two of the Premier Division of the National Athletics League.

It was an outcome which seemed unlikely the day before when delayed travel south caused no little stress.

Even late in the programme on Saturday, every point was vital with a number of clubs contesting positions below match winners Harrow and second placed Thames Valley Harriers.

Indeed, only 16 points duly separated Birchfield on 427, Glasgow Jaguars 418.5, Windsor Slough and Eton 415.5, Sheffield 413 and Woodford Green and Essex Ladies 411 . . . so the team effort paid off for Jaguars to give a cushion for Match Three (on Saturday 16 August, which clashes with the Scottish U20 championships in Aberdeen).

But, overall, another excellent day was reflected in a number of Glasgow Jaguars Club Record performances and a number of Personal Bests.

A swirling breeze made conditions tricky but there were some outstanding performances with the 400m Hurdles resulting in a win for the Sheffield athlete, who clocked a league record and a world championship qualifier of 48.46. Bradley Francis took full advantage to finish third in a 50.55 PB. The Scottish Records of 50.04 and the CGQ of 50.02 look to be in the sights of the Aberdeen medical student.

There was a fine second place in the women’s 400m Hurdles B event with Kati Hulme only pulled into the team the night before. In the 400m flat U20 Luc Macleod showed his outstanding potential in a fast race recording 47.33 for fifth, which moves him to third in the UK and augurs well for the U20 trials.

In the B race Calum Mckenzie was close to his season’s best for a fine fifth place in 48.39. In the women’s A race, it was an excellent third place for Kathryn Christie in 54.77, a new club record and just short of her lifetime best of 54. 69. A fourth place in the B race for Kelsey Stewart kept the points coming in.

In the A 4×400 mixed relay it was a club record of 3.27.05 in fifth place for Bradley Francis 48.3, Kelsey Stewart 55.6, Luc MacLeod, 48.2 and Kathryn Christie 54.9 and an excellent second place in the B event for Calum Mackenzie, Rachel Callan, Ewan Purves, and Lucy Fraser.

The gusty wind made conditions tricky for the sprinters but in a tight finish Stewart Greenhalgh finished a fine third in the A race in a blanket finish, as three athletes all recorded the same time of 10.73.

The 200m races brought more valuable points with crucial top half of the field fourth places for Lois Garland in the A event in 24.60 (into a – 1.7 wind) matched by fourth for Lucy Fraser in the B event in 25.16 (into a – 5.6 wind).

In the men’s B event it was fourth for U20 Owen Murphy 22.23 into a -2.4 wind. In the guest races Charlotte Bevan recorded a 24.60 PB into a -3.7 wind and Simon Okiti equalled his season’s best of 22.14 into a -1.9 wind.

There was a superb third place finish for the 4×100 men’s team of Owen Murphy, Stewart Greenhalgh, Struan Linton and Simon Okiti, who set a club record of 40.63 and consolidated their place at the top of the Scottish rankings while it was an outstanding win for the women’s team of U17 Kishi Aremu, Lucy Fraser, Charlotte Bevan and Lois Garland, in 46.05 and equalling the club record.

Ewan Purves set his first PB of the day with fourth in the 800m A race in a time of 1.53.90 and then improved his 400m PB to 48.60 in the guest 400m.

In the women’s 1500M Carolyn Cameron was close to her recent PB with an excellent third in the A race in 4.37.28 and Emma McLennan gained crucial points in the B race having set a PB of 7.05.08 for a win in the 2000m Steeplechase.

It was maximum points in the Steeplechase with Becky Dunphy winning the B event in a season’s best of 7.34.42. On her debut for the team U20 Ruth Walsh finished second in the A 3000m.

The standard on the field in the Premier Division is extremely high but newcomer to the team Louis Reynolds set a new club record of 2.01m for third in the High Jump, matched by third for U20 Alec Miller in the B event. In the women’s pole vault Hannah Goldie marked her debut with third in the B event.

It was an excellent third for Hannah Wallace in the Long Jump with a club record of 6.03m with Briagha Cook finishing third in the B event. On her debut U20 Matilda Brockley finished fourth in a strong Triple Jump field with a club record of 12.31m.

The throwers were on PB form in strong fields with Andrew Peck finishing in an excellent third place with a club record of 53.04m and Euan Urquhart setting a club record of 14.38m in the Shot for fifth.

In the Javelin William Bailey recorded a PB of 51.80m and it was PB time for Haley Elliot in the discus with 41.03m. There was a club record for U20 Logan Mitchell in the hammer with a throw of 47.70m

Every single athlete is to be commended for their commitment with some having just finished exams, and others not 100 percent fit but despite less-than-ideal travel arrangements they willingly gave 100 per cent and put themselves forward to cover last minute gaps in the team.

Thanks as always to the Officials, coaches, parents, team managers, and social media team, whose role is vital in providing this pathway.

We would also like to extend huge thanks to sponsors Glasgow Life and Joma.