ATHLETES with Dunfermline Track and Field Club concluded their outdoor season by performing at two national competitions.

Members of the club competed at both the 4J Studios Senior / Under-17 Championships, in Grangemouth, and at the 4J Studios scottishathletics Age Group Championships, in Aberdeen, last month.

They returned home with success stories from both competitions, starting with the seniors and under-17s, which resulted in medals in the field and on the track.

Callum Newton was the first Dunfermline Track and Field star to reach the podium in the under-17 men's high jump, with his effort of 1.73 metres equalling that of Giffnock North AC's Ryan Davie, which secured a joint second place finish.

In the senior event, Matthew Tait won a bronze medal with a jump of 1.98m, whilst Darcie Black, an under-20 athlete competing in the women's senior long jump, completed a hat-trick of field medals by bagging silver with an effort of 5.60m.

Sophie Thomas continued the medal rush on the track, winning bronze in the women's under-17 100m with a season's best time of 12.32 seconds, before going on to win another gong of the same colour in the 200m, thanks to a run of 25.40.

In the women's under-17 80m hurdles, both Amy Jenkinson and Kirstin Penman qualified for the final, but neither were able to reach the podium, placing fourth and fifth respectively in 12.83 and 12.93 respectively.

In the women's senior 100m hurdles, Darcie Black finished a creditable fifth in 15.57, before adding a seventh place in the high jump (1.49m).

The following weekend, several Dunfermline athletes headed north for the Age Group Championships, which provided another impressive weekend for Darcie Black.

She picked up two gold medals - in the women's under-20 100m hurdles (15.43), and the long jump (5.64m, PB) - and a silver in the high jump (1.47m).

Matthew Tait was also back amongst the medals, this time winning under-20 men's high jump gold, thanks to a clearance of 2.00m, whilst there was a double silver for two club siblings.

Under-17 athlete Sophie Thomas, competing in the under-20 age group, won 100m silver with a season's best time of 12.24, whilst younger sister, Lottie, also placed second on the podium in the under-13 100m, in which she ran a new PB of 13.38.

In the under-15 age group, Arabella Mitchell, competing in her first championship, ran well in both the 100m and 200m and, although she missed out on each final, she had the consolation of setting new PBs in both events.

Lucy Gibb was an excellent 12th in the very competitive under-15 girls 1500m, running a time of 5:23.30, while Riley Gardiner and Chris Doig were in action in the same age group in the boys' events.

Riley ran a PB in the 100m heats, and was unfortunate not to make progress, and was just outside qualifying for the 800m final, whilst Chris placed fourth in the 300m (43.28) and 13th in the 200m.

The under-13s were also in action, with Pippa Rambaut making the girls 200m semi-final, alongside Lottie, but both athletes just failed to make the final.

Sophie Jenkinson, with a PB of 4.07m, finished 10th in the girls long jump; Lily Pritchard finished ninth in the 1500m final with a PB of 5:50.71; and Poppy Warner was unfortunate not to medal in the 800m, finishing fourth with a new PB of 2:31.75.

There was a fifth place in the high jump for Caitlin Chalmers, with a new best of 1.37, whilst she achieved another PB in the shot putt (6.35m), where she finished seventh, before achieving an eighth place in the javelin.

There was a creditable 18th place for Briony Argo in the 800m and, despite just missing out on the semi-final, she set a new 200m PB of 31.22.

A club spokesperson said: "These are terrific performances mixing it with the country's top athletes at national level. Congratulations to our medal winners, but huge well done to all that competed.

"Well done all for all your achievements and efforts. The National Championships are of a very high calibre and any medals are hard-earned."