Hamish Hickey of Strathpeffer was a clear winner of the under-20 men’s title in the Scottish East District cross-country championships at Piperdam, Dundee.
His victory was some consolation for the Ross-shire athlete – now in his second year at Stirling University – after being named as a non-travelling reserve for the Great Britain team that competed in the European championships in Portugal at the weekend.
He said: “It was a bit gutting not getting the GB vest but if someone had told me at the start of the year I would be a reserve I would never have believed them so I have to take positives from the way I have progressed.
“The Piperdam race went exactly to plan. It was definitely one of those days when there was more in the tank if required. The next race for me is the Stirling cross on 11th January, and there are some Scotland vests up for grabs for that one.”
Scotland international Fiona Brian and her clubmate Ginie Barrand were the first Metro Aberdeen women for 25 years to make the podium in the senior women’s championship race.
No one from the north east club had earned an individual medal since US student Elizabeth Riley struck gold in season 1994-1995, but that all changed when Brian finished second behind Fife AC’s Annabel Simpson with Barrand taking third spot at the end of the 8.5km race.
The duo were backed up by Claire Bruce, eighth, and Kirsty Mitchell, 40th, in the Metro side which finished second behind Fife in the team competition.
It’s the fourth season in a row when the Metro squad has been in the team medals. Gold still eludes them with three sets of silver and one of bronze acquired.
Central AC’s Jamie Crowe, who plans to compete in April’s Balmoral races, won the senior men’s title for a third year in a row when finishing well clear of Ben Greenwood (Perth Strathtay Harriers) while Cameron Strachan (Metro Aberdeen) struck bronze.
Strachan also led his club to team bronzes with backing of Hamish Battle (24th), Ben Ward (25th), Chris Richardson (31st), Jason Kelly (33rd) and Jim Tole (34th).
East Sutherland’s Constance Nankivell, was runner-up behind her Edinburgh University clubmate Zoe Pflug in the under-20 women’s race in which Aberdeen’s Hannah Morrison finished eighth to give the students a team win.
Aberdeen AAC won the under-13 boys’ team title through Rhys Crawford (11th), Finlay McKay (17th) and Oscar Chirnside (21st). There were also team silvers for Aberdeen AAC in the under-15 and under-17 boys races, and team bronze for the under-17 girls’ side.