Silver service for top Fife AC track stars

U13s Anna Dalglish, Layla Zuill, Rachel McNab and Ellie Eboji had some unfinished business from the previous weekend at the National Junior 4x200m Relay Championships.

Having qualified joint second in their heat and with the joint fifth fastest time overall of 2:01.69, they would now take on the other 11 qualifiers.

Two semi-finals would reduce that number down to six and a place in this year’s final just over an hour later.

In the semi, lead runner Layla Zuill handing over to Anna Dalglish in turn onto Ellie Eboji.

Everything went according to plan and finally it was just down to Rachel McNab.

Lying in second place at this point all that was required was for her to maintain this position and automatic qualifying place and a place in the final was theirs.

Finishing second to Giffnock North was achieved and later upgraded to first due to a disqualification.

The time was irrelevant in this situation but it was faster than last week.

They had gone into today as the fifth fastest.

Now they were second favourites.

Reaching the final was an achievement in it itself but these girls hadn’t come here just to make up numbers.

They were here to win and with the same line up and the same running order they set out to do just that.

After the first three legs Layla, Anna and Ellie had built up a solid lead and all that was required was to hang onto this lead. Unfortunately Edinburgh had saved their best until last and now they started to close the gap. Rachel held out for as long as she could but at the final bend the inevitable happened and now Edinburgh had the lead and they weren’t going to relinquish it.

They held on to take the title by just less than a second to leave Fife with the consolation of a silver in 1:57.95.