FOOTBALL manager Graeme Armstrong watched his side Newtongrange Star, train on Saturday morning - come Saturday afternoon, Armstrong was in action himself.
The former Stirling Albion and Berwick Rangers player however, had switched sports from football to athletics. Armstrong then hit the tape instead of the net by winning the 110 metres handicap at St Ronans Games.
Competing from a mark of 17 me
tres, 54-year-old Armstrong who ran on the Australian athletic circuit in the spring, made his first strike by soaring to a clear heat win in 11.55 seconds.
Armstrong followed this up with a cross tie triumph in 11.50 seconds. That earned him a final place along with Hawick trio, Ryan Trimby (12.5m), Douglas Prowse (8.5m) and David Hush (20m), plus Geoff Keen on Selkirk (10.5m) and Earlston Games spring winner Graeme Scott of TLJT (9.5m).
In his last outing, Armstrong, whose son John and daughters Billie and Amy also compete on the games circuit, produced the goods to the full again by surging home in 11.62 seconds. Hush emerging second and Scott third.
Following her golden show in winning the Jed-Forest 110 metres handicap the week previous, Amy Clancy of Peebles (32m) shone again by taking the honours in the 200 metres handicap.
Running exceptionally at present, Clancy impressed when winning her heat in 23.02 seconds.
There was much more to come from the Charlie Russell trained girl runner in the final however. Clancy simply buzzed from the start and soared to an excellent win ahead of Lee Goodfellow of TLJT (20m) and David Grieve of Hawick (22m) in a very fast time of 21.98 seconds.
Kelso's Darrell Hastie (12.5m) gave a fine account of himself by coming from the back to win the 800 metres handicap.
From the Adie Gray school, Hastie had to pull out the stops to get the better of Stuart Fraser of Hawick (32.5m), in what turned out to be an exciting race. After having worked his way through the field, Hastie was nestling in behind leader Ged Smith of Hawick (110m) as the bell went for the last lap.
Hastie in turn strode ahead, but Hawick Royal Albert footballer Fraser was in hot pursuit. On hitting the home straight, Fraser moved up to draw level with his Tweedside rival but 27-year-old Hastie shook off the challenge by finding something extra, and ran on to cross the finishing line in 1 minute 59.07 seconds. Fraser coming in second and James Clamp of Jedburgh (67.5m) third.
Innerleithen's own Dean Whiteford (115m) delighted the home crowd no end, when emerging victorious in the 1600 metres handicap. Whiteford shaped up well from the beginning by striding out in a positive manner. Urged on by the spectators surrounding the track, the immensely popular Whiteford went on to take the leadership from Selkirk's Alistair Laurie (265m) during the last lap.
Whiteford had the look of a winner from here on and went racing in to do the business, in 4 minutes 29.24 seconds. Going from scratch, Darrell Hastie of Kelso finished strongly gaining second place. Iain Williams of TLJT (172.5m) was third.
Twelve-year-old John Feeney of TLJT (22.5m) hit high spots with a triumph in the youth's 90 metres handicap.
After having caught the eye through excellent heat and cross tie wins, Feeney appeared to be in with a real good chance of taking the final.
Despite being pulled a metre from a false start, the Jedburgh youngster did just this, with a blitzing run to win from Jack Wilson of Hawick (13.5m) and Andrew Nisbet of Selkirk (16.5m). The watch recorded a time of 10.31 seconds.
Feeney said: "That's my first win. I didn't think I would win the final though, after being pulled a metre. In fact I thought I would be last. I kept thinking somebody would go past me, but nobody did and I was very glad about that."
Jordon Charters of West Linton (14m) turned on the style in the youth's 200 metres handicap. Following a heat win of 22.86 seconds, Charters stormed home in the final in 23.21 seconds. The other placings going the way of Sean Grant of Innerleithen (15m) and Coran Darling of TLJT (14m)
Coached by David Knox, Jack Stanners of Selkirk (250m) continued to show promise and potential by clocking up his second win of the season in showing the field a clean pair of heels in the youth's 1600 metres handicap. Ewan Gillham of Kilbarchan (170m) and Adam Craig of Lauder (65m) gained the other spots.
Jedburgh's Paul Ferguson from the TLJT Athletic Club tasted victory in the invitation sprint in 12.71 seconds, when edging out Peter Denholm of Melrose and David Lauder of Hawick.
Eve Huxley (180m) a stylish young runner, won the American Cup youths 800 metres handicap (confined) from Ross Swinton (120m) and Sophie Newbold (120m) in 2 minutes 20.5 seconds. Huxley followed this up with another victory in the 200 metres youths handicap (confined) for the New Zealand Trophy. Ryan Houten (x) was second and Bethany Thomson (35m) third. The race was won in 44.17 seconds.
