CENTRAL AC athletes took five sets of medals from the National Relay Championships at Grangemouth Stadium, covering the range from under 13 to senior age groups.

Surprise package of the day for the club came from a mature performance by Central under 13 boy’s 4 x 100m team. The quartet of Jack Campbell , Robb Ferguson, Finlay Marchant and Curtis Denison took a fine set of silver medals with a 57.63 timing.

At the other end of the age spectrum the senior squad made up of Jack Houghton, Michael Currie, Jamie Price and Ian McDonald looked well set for a medal in senior 4 x 100m, but suffered the classic fate of the sprint relays with a dropped baton. Three of the squad, then took on the 4 x 400m and with Under 17 athlete James Isgrove adding to Jack, Michael and Jamie were able to get their hands on an award as the took bronze medal place with in 3:34.35 timing.

Central’s under 17 ladies squad made it a double set of silver medals as the same set of runners took close second places in both 4 x 100 and 4 x 300m events. In the sprint event, Central had to give way by 3/100ths of a second to Dundee Hawkhill. Anna Cameron handed on to Elizabeth Thompson, to Katie Sharkey with anchor leg by Emma Mailer to put in a sprited run with a great time of 49.81s fractionally outside one of Central’s oldest Club Records dating back to 1984. In the 4 x 300m, another tight race again had the central quartet posting another great time of 2:48.41, taking a full 3 seconds off the club record, but this time were left chasing a strong Giffnock team.

For Central’s under 15 team, another silver medal was the result after another great race. Mia Glen led off the 4 x 100 team with sisters Corilidh and Briagha Cook bringing the baton to final changeover in second place behind Edinburgh. Despite Shona McLay producing a fine final leg to bring Central all but level, careful scrutiny of the photo-finish gave them second with a 51.12 timing. In the 4 x 300m, the quartet if Ciorstadh Ainsworth, Lucy More, Briagha Cook and Shona McLay took fourth place in 3:01.08.

The under 17 men’s quarter of John Wilkie, Daniel Ferguson, Robbie Subke and Neil Casserley worked through the heats to take sixth place in the 4 x 100m final with 47.80s. John, Neil and Robbie were joined by Euan Cameron to take another sixth place in the 4 x 400m final in 3:52.06.

A series of 3 x 800m provided strong opposition for Central’s teams with all featuring well up the standings. The under 13 3 x 800m team of Ryan McGuire, Jackson McKnight and Euan Campbell made it fifth place in 8:18.19. Both Central’s under 15 teams made it through to finals, with the under 15 team of Grace Tindall, Carrie Banks and Kyra Gibb gaining seventh fastest time with 7:47.47. A boys 3 x 800m trio of Cameron Blance, Daniel Bruce and Finlay Muir were fourth fastest in 7:19.83. The under 17 team of Sandy Holl, Tom Graham-Marr and Ben MacMillan made it to fifth place in their final with 6:37.72.