Major honour for Kilmarnock Harriers' coach

Dec 5 2008 by Clair Fullarton, Kilmarnock Standard

KILMARNOCK Harriers and East Ayrshire have recently been rewarded at the highest level for some very hard work and innovative ideas behind the scenes.

Last Saturday at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow, the yearly Scottishathletics award ceremony took place and the Harriers and East Ayrshire were up for three awards between them, as well as recognition for one of local athletics most hard-working, likeable and dedicated men.

First award of the evening Kilmarnock were involved in was for volunteer of the year in the club development category, and head senior coach Jim Young was in the shortlist of five.

Being in the category was an honour, to be involved in the final few was magnificent, but all was not finished at that as Jim came out top in the tough category and was delighted to accept the award to rapturous applause from the packed arena of 400 people including a very vocal Ayrshire support.

With proud wife Morrie looking on the evening was off to a spectacular start indeed.

After a short break, the next category the town were involved in was for partnership of the year. East Ayrshire Athletics Partnership were in the running for this award for a mountain of hard work throughout the year and hopes were high that success would be on the way.

This was to be the case as for the second time on the night the prize went our way and a proud Louise West and Donald Mackintosh stepped forward to accept the recognition, again to huge cheers.

With two down and one to go an unprecedented hat trick was on the cards, and the final award Kilmarnock Harriers were shortlisted for was for club of the year (junior) and again competition was fierce.

For the third time though the celebrations began as the name Kilmarnoch Harriers was read out as joint winners of the award and all involved in the running of the club, including Jim Goldie and all the many hardworking coaches, committee and volunteers should be very proud of a remarkable evenings achievements.

Last up for the night was the aforementioned Jim Young who took centre stage for the second time of the evening. He was one of only three people in the evening to receive the high accolade of Life Membership of Scottishathletics.

This capped a brilliant evening for everyone, as world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe presented him with his award.

To list all of Jim’s contributions over the years would be impossible to do without writing a book.

He has been involved in athletics for over 50 years and has served as an athlete, coach and various roles on the executive committee, including the post he holds today of club president.

He attends outdoor training sessions approximately four times per week and is now a qualified timekeeper helping at various events throughout the West of Scotland.

Jim takes the time to coach athletes ranging from Jogscotland standard, through to athletes who have represented their country on numerous occasions like Lindsay McMahon, and Allison Simpson, formerly Higgins.

Jim chooses to do all this no matter the weather, and also turns out all year to watch his charges compete.

At the weekend, Birmingham witnessed the UK Awards, and again the club and East Ayrshire were on the list for the same three awards.

To receive such recognition at United Kingdom level was every bit as proud a moment as the previous week’s ceremony and president Jim Young, wife Morrie and Kenny and James Wales were in attendance.

This time it was East Ayrshire Athletics Partnership who were first up and this time went a step further as the UK Award was won, a brilliant achievement.

To be on a shortlist of five for the whole of the UK and Ireland was some achievement, and while we came agonisingly short in the club of the year and volunteer of the year categories, it was a major triumph to be on such a list and again all of Kilmarnock Harriers can be proud of their club.

With all this going on it was almost easy to forget some athletes were competing, and before joining Jim and Morrie in Birmingham Kenny and James were in Liverpool where James, sister Ferne and Brogan Wallace were taking a big step up in class to compete in the European Trials Cross Country races.

All three competed very well and will definitely improve with the experience.

Craigie Park, Ayr, was the venue for the Ayrshire Cross Country Championships held on November 22, where the youngsters were racing over different courses.

Conditions for this cross country event were perfect, with sunshine and a slight hilly but firm grassy course, which made it an enjoyable afternoon for athletes and spectators.

As last year, the female athletes dominated their respective races, wining all four team golds and achieving seven out of 12 medals.

U11 team gold (2,3,6) Hannah Bartl, Harris Ritchie and Alanis Brydon; U13 team gold (1,2, 4) Brogan Wallace, Bronagh Wishart and Fern Wales; U15 team gold (2,3,5) Amanda Humes, Eve Kerr and Stephanie Sloan; U17 team gold (3,5,6) Sarah McNish, Lois Shankland and Mia Tait.

Two male Harriers won individual medals, Angus Kerr U11, repeating his success from last year by wining the silver medal and Cameron Mackie U15 wining the bronze medal. A team gold was won by the U17 (4,5,7) Grant Beattie, Ross Connelly and Murray McDonald. The silver team U15 (3,5,6) was Cameron Mackie, Roy Shankland and Evan Cornforth.

The complete results are as follows:

U11 boys/girls: 2 A Kerr 5.12 / 2 Hannah Bartl 5.23; 3 Harris Ritchie 5.29; 6 Alanis Brydon 5.52; 9 Leona Johnstone 5.58.

U13 boys/girls: 5 A Jones 14.04 / 1 B Wallace 13.20; B Wishart 13.48; 4 F Wales 14.12; 6 L Kerr 15.35; 7 J Dunlop 15.37; 8 G McGutcheon 15.43; 9 K Mackie 15.50; S Taylor 15.54; A Cameron 16.39; D Frew 16.42.

U15 boys/girls: 3 C Mackie 16.19; 5 R Shankland 17.17; 6 E Cornforth 17.17 / 2 A Humes 17.37; 3 E Kerr 18.18; 5 S Sloan 19.52; 8 L Meney 20.29; 9 C Irvine 20.55; 10 D Frew 23.57; 11 K Knox 27.03

U17 boys/girls: 4. G Beattie 24.17; 5. R Connelly 25.35; 7. M McDonald / 3. S McNish 28.45; 5. L Shankland 32.49; 6. M Tait 37.12

Senior / Under 20 Ladies – 1 Kara Tait 26.24, 2 Lindsay McMahon 26.42 (1st V35), 3 Lauren Campbell 26.59 (1st U20) 6 Liz McDerment 29.55

Senior/ Under 20 Men – 4 James Wales 34.17, 5 Scott Martin 34.43 (1st V40) 19 Leslie McDerment 39.21, 21 Harold Bartl 39.49.

Four Harriers took part in freezing conditions on Saturday at East Kilbride Athletics Club’s 10K Road Race.

First Harrier home in 17th position was hill racing specialist David White who crossed the line in 36.04. Connell Drummond had a fine race just shy of his pb in 37.32 (30th) with Harold Bartl (40.36, 57th) and Matt Dodds (44.23, 93rd) completing the quartet.