West District XC Relays
Inverclyde AC Celebrate Double Medal Success at West District Cross Country Relays
Senior men claim silver and Masters men secure bronze as club produces outstanding performances across all four teams.
Inverclyde Athletic Club enjoyed a fantastic day at Saturday’s West District Cross Country Relay Championships, with the Senior Men’s team claiming silver and the Men’s Masters team securing bronze in a thrilling day of racing.
There were also excellent performances from the club’s Senior Women’s and Masters Women’s teams, highlighting the strength and depth of talent within Inverclyde AC.
Senior Women Produce Superb Fourth-Place Finish
First into action were the Inverclyde Senior Women’s team of Maisie Watson, Meredith Reid and Nynke Mulholland.
Leading the team off was Maisie Watson, who produced a terrific opening leg to finish in 10th position in a time of 14:12. It was an impressive performance from Watson, who was stepping up in distance from her usual track speciality of 800m.
Taking over on the second leg was Meredith Reid, who had enjoyed a superb performance at the Glasgow Half Marathon just six days earlier, breaking the 80-minute barrier. Despite having that demanding race still in her legs, Reid delivered another excellent run, clocking 14:04 and moving Inverclyde up to sixth position.
The final leg was entrusted to Babcock 10km Series Ladies Champion Nynke Mulholland, who produced a fantastic performance to bring the team home in an outstanding fourth place.
Mulholland’s run was particularly impressive, recording the ninth-fastest individual time of the day as Inverclyde narrowly missed out on a podium finish.
Strong Showing from Ladies’ Masters Trio
Inverclyde’s Ladies’ Masters team also delivered a series of determined performances.
Anna McDougall, fresh from an excellent 10km performance in Glasgow the previous weekend, got the team off to a strong start with a time of 18:39.
Pamela Jamieson-Smith took over on the second leg and maintained the team’s momentum with another solid performance, recording 23:08.
Bringing the team home was newly appointed Ladies’ Club Captain and reigning Ladies’ Club Champion Faye Currie. Currie rounded off the team’s efforts with a strong final leg of 19:45, completing an encouraging day for the Masters women.
Gray Brothers Spark Senior Men’s Silver Medal Charge
The Senior Men’s race provided some of the most exciting moments of the day, as Inverclyde AC battled their way through the field to secure a superb silver medal.
First away for the club was Greg Williams, who had recorded a personal best at the Glasgow Half Marathon just a week earlier. Showing no signs of fatigue, Williams rose to the challenge and delivered an excellent opening leg of 12:03, handing over in 13th position.
Next up was Ryan Gray, who has been working his way back to fitness following injury. Gray produced a sensational second leg, clocking 11:12 and carving his way through the field to propel Inverclyde into fifth position.
He then handed over to his brother, Ross Gray, who was determined to continue the charge towards the medals.
Ross produced another outstanding performance, recording a time just nine seconds slower than his brother’s, bringing Inverclyde home in third position at the end of the third leg.
With a medal now firmly within reach, the responsibility fell to Scottish 5000m Champion Ben Potrykus on the final leg.
Potrykus, who has clocked a remarkable 13:30 for 5000m this year, set off in pursuit of the leaders and produced a breathtaking display of cross country running.
His blistering 10:42 was the fastest individual time of the entire day, as he chased down the opposition and lifted Inverclyde into the silver medal position.
Despite his incredible effort, Cambuslang Harriers held on to take gold, finishing just 14 seconds ahead of Inverclyde in a thrilling contest.
It was a magnificent team performance from Williams, the Gray brothers and Potrykus, with all four athletes playing a crucial role in securing a well-deserved place on the podium.
Hunter’s Dramatic Sprint Secures Masters Bronze
Not to be outdone, Inverclyde’s Men’s Masters team produced their own memorable performance, battling their way to a brilliant bronze medal.
Thomas Jamieson got the team off to a flying start, recording a strong opening leg of 13:38 to put Inverclyde in a competitive position.
Taking over on the second leg was Graeme Hyett, making a welcome return to racing in Inverclyde AC colours after a lengthy spell away from competition.
Hyett showed he had lost none of his racing ability, producing a phenomenal run of 12:52 to put the Masters team firmly in contention for the medals.
The third leg saw Jon “Hammertime” Hammerman take centre stage, and he certainly lived up to his nickname.
Hammerman delivered another excellent performance, moving Inverclyde into third position in what was developing into an incredibly tight Masters contest.
That left Chris Hunter with the task of bringing home a medal on the final leg.
With the bronze medal hanging in the balance, Hunter dug deep and produced a sensational finishing sprint that even Usain Bolt would have been proud of.
His determination and finishing speed proved decisive as he secured third place and a fantastic bronze medal for Inverclyde AC, sparking celebrations among his teammates.
Inverclyde Set Sights on National Championships
With two medals, a fourth-place finish for the Senior Women and a string of outstanding individual performances, it was a hugely successful day for Inverclyde Athletic Club.
The results were particularly encouraging given that several athletes were competing just days after strong performances at the Glasgow Half Marathon and 10km events, while others were returning from injury or time away from racing.
The silver medal for the Senior Men, bronze for the Men’s Masters and the fastest individual performance of the day from Ben Potrykus demonstrated the quality and determination running throughout the club.
Attention now turns to the Scottish National Cross Country Relay Championships on October 24, where Inverclyde AC will be hoping to build on their West District success and once again challenge Scotland’s leading clubs.
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