Stornoway Running and Athletics Club
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Stornoway Running and Athletics Club |
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The HIPPO’s Final day for 2009 ! The visit of regional coaches Alastair Cameron, Charlie Forbes and Tracy Tamijmarane in 2007 was the impetus that spurned the most innovative development initiative for athletics in the Highlands and islands. The three had visited the islands to lead development sessions with the most talented in the isles, in running, jumping and throwing. Impressed with what they saw in the isles and aware of the difficulties in nurturing the talent of the islands’, they came up with the idea of the HIPPO! The Highland’s and Island Performance Participation Opportunity (HIPPO as we all affectionately now call it) is a series of Open Graded Meeting’s (OGM’s) that give clubs disadvantaged by lack of competition on the Scottish periphery the chance to compete against one another without leaving their island bases! The idea to have two rounds of competition in four different Island and Highland venues, Stornoway, Orkney, Inverness and Shetland using a point scoring system that allows various events to be scored based on performance, set up very real competition for the Highland and Islands. This not only benefited the Isles clubs, but the biggest Highland club Inverness, are stretched in competition in the junior ranks throughout the HIPPO series!
Charlie Forbes out on the Isles at Dalmore Beach, West Lewis 2007 with young athletes. The HIPPO then culminates the competitive year in the third open graded meeting in Inverness (that may change in future year’s), when all in the Islands and Highland clubs meet to compete the final day together and attend the evening prize giving. So there are the basics for those of you unaware of what exactly this HIPPO stuff is all about. Or is it? Well not exactly, there is of course Team HIPPO, which is selected from the best performances at the four OGM venues (with the exception of Inverness Harriers), which ensures HIPPO have the opportunity to compete at a level that before the HIPPO came along would not have been possible! An athletic pathway of excellence indeed, simply follows the rather large hippo footprints of success! So THE GRAND FINAL 2009, SRAC travelled with a good number of athletes, coaches and parent helpers, some staying Friday and Saturday evening. But unfortunately with no accommodation available in the hostel on Saturday the majority travelled home right after the day’s competition finished. The days events saw good point scoring throughout the age groups for SRAC with Alasdair Rigby winning the HIPPOlympian event (under 11 category) and his sister Catriona taking fourth in the girls contest! One of the top under 11 performer’s for the on the day was Kirsty Thomson in the 800meters finishing 5th in 3 minutes 10 secs.
SRAC girls take the inside lanes!
Chloe takes the race through 400m – Peigi tracking the move! The younger girls sprints squad – Jenny McTaggart Abbie MacKay Eilidh MacLeod Georgia MacLennan and Cara Hanlon coached by Adrienne Stewart all placed well in their event and Jane MacInnes trying out the shorter distances also added to a good points total. The distance runners Peigi MacKellar and Chloe Thomson continued to chase their personal best performances and place 3rd and 6th respectively! Chloe then went on to take a 5th place in shot putt! Top SRAC long jump was Jenny McTaggart in 3rd place with a jump of 3meters 96! SRAC’s under 15 were also very strong with Ali Summers and Jodie MacKay thee times and two times respectively taking top performer in their age group.
Ali doing an 800! - Pretty in Pink! HIPPO pink that is! Well purplie/pink! – Jodie lane 1, 1st Adding to the strength of the sprints and jumps group both Alicia MacSween and Hannah MacLeod scored very well with top finishes and Amy Ramsay took 4th in her 100meters. Becca Munro and Alison MacInnes ran the 800 in difficult conditions and although adding to SRAC’s under 15 winning team tally were outside their best performance. Another plus of the HIPPO series – the team building in what is often a sport of individual performances!
That’s the spirit boys run your team mate to the line … swift time ... more HIPPO points! For full individual results:- HIPPO grand final 19 09 09.pdf For HIPPO Grand Final points totals: - 2009_HIPPO_&_HIPPOlympian_Results.xls Thanks to all the parents and coaches that supervised the trip to Inverness and here’s to an even better HIPPO series in 2010!
Oh, yes there was some party time!
OK bye from now from the HIPPO and mud face packs and onto the mud of cross country! A Tupper |
