Ayr Seaforth star trio fly the flag in Wales

Apr 3 2009

THREE of Ayr Seaforth's top endurance athletes were on international duty in Y Faenol on the outskirts of Bangor in North Wales.

Sarah Cassells and Finlay Rae were representing Scottish schools at the Aviva SIAB schools international cross country match while Toni McIntosh was in action for Scotland at the Home Countries match.

The senior women raced over a 6000m course and Toni put in an excellent performance to take sixth place and lead the Scots team home. It caps a successful cross country season for Toni who won silver at the national cross country championships in February.

Immediately following the race, Toni headed back north and the following day had an emphatic win in the first round of the Stewarts Road Race Grand Prix at Grangemouth. She clocked 35:17 for the 10k course and was over a minute clear of her nearest rival.

In the schools international match, Queen Margaret Academy pupil Sarah Cassells finished 22nd in the junior girls race over a 3500m course. She was fifth Scottish finisher and helped the Scotland team to a bronze medal.

Belmont Academy pupil Finlay Rae caused the biggest upset when he took the junior boys title in magnificent style. Finlay travelled to Wales as the Scottish schools champion but it was English champion Michael McKeown from Coventry who was the pre-race favourite over the 4500m course.

However, the Irish and Scottish athletes had other intentions. Finlay ran a controlled race sitting in the lead pack until the final 800m. A surge in pace saw him leave the English athletes standing.

Irish athlete Shane Fitzsimmons held on for a further 200m but a further kick saw Finlay pull clear to win emphatically by six seconds and land his first British athletics title. His victory was one of only two Scottish wins on the day with English athletes taking all the other schools titles.

Sarah and Finlay now take a short break before representing Scotland at the London Mini-Marathon this month.