Dalziel’s double joy in triathlon

Oct 29 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

DALZIEL HIGH’S team of Luke McIlvenna and Lee Miller won the Boys’ Overall Championship and the Supercounty Trophy at the 2009 Lanarkshire Schools’ Triathlon.

And to complete a Dalziel double at the annual event at Strathclyde Park, Dean Mowat and Ryan Watters took third place overall to win bronze.

The winning team completed the 6k road, 1k canoe and 8k cycle races in 1hr 51mins 5secs – almost three minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, a team from Cumbernauld.

Luke and Lee won the running event and were runners-up in the cycling race, while Dean and Ryan won the canoeing event and finished third on the bike.

The girls’ event was dominated by schools from Cumbernauld, with the Brannock High entry of Amanda Wylie and Liona Clark taking third place in 2.20.25, claiming bronze.

Classmates Victoria Mitchell and Sophie Cadden finished fourth overall, completing the course in 2.20.31.

David Pollok and John Liddle from Calderhead High in Shotts were runners-up in the canoeing event, finishing seventh overall placings in a time of 2.12.27.

Hamilton’s John Ogilvie High had two teams in the competition.

Mark Russell and Dominic Murray were eighth overall in 2.15.20, while Thomas Boyle and Kieran Welsh finished on 2.33.01.

Holy Cross students Joseph Dunbar and Marc Armstrong (2.22.26) and Chris Gadnis and Craig Bradley (2.26.43) also took part.

Their girls’ team of Evelyn Bryce and Anna Fletcher were sixth overall in a time of 2.32.36.

Cardinal Newman High were represented by Aimee Ure and Cassie O’Neill (2.47.48), and by Jillian McGinn and Amanda Mitchell, who finished in 2.51.42.

Drew Leitch, South Lanarkshire services and conditions officer for championship sponsors Unison, said: “These young people deserve credit for making the effort to train for and take part in such a demanding event.”