Sport / Sporting round-up 3 February
A SHETLAND swimmer has broken a Scottish masters record in the pool over the weekend.
Emmie Hutchison, representing Warrander, set a new national record for the women’s 50m butterfly race with a time of 28.76s – also securing her a gold medal.
It was a medal-laden weekend for isles’ swimmers at the Silver City Masters event at Aberdeen Sports Village, with no less than 17 medals making their way back north.
Kirsty Brightwell, racing for Lerwick Amateur Swimming Club (LASC), won five gold medals in the 50m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, and 100m freestyle, in an extraordinary display.
LASC’s Donald McDermott also won gold in the 25m, 200m and 400m freestyle for his age group, adding a silver in the 50m freestyle.
Andy Preacher dropped 13 seconds from his best 100m breaststroke to seal a bronze, and took a second off his best in the 50m backstroke for a silver medal.
Preacher added another bronze medal by taking two-and-a-half seconds off his 50m breaststroke best.
Robbie Thomson, swimming for Shetland Hurricanes, won gold in the 400m freestyle, while Katie Bain – returning from serious illness – was a double medal winner on her return to the pool.
Bain claimed silver in the 50m freestyle and bronze in the 50m butterfly to make a successful return.
And Hutchison added a further two golds to her record-breaking effort too, winning in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly.
IT WAS also a record-breaking weekend at the athletics track, where three new Shetland records were set over the weekend by isles runners.
Martin Leyland – making a return to competition after injury – broke the isles 60m record in the 65-69 age group by setting a time of 8.61 seconds at the Scottish Masters Indoor Championship.
That time also earned him a silver medal, and he would soon earn another in the 200m event.
Leyland’s time of 28.16 seconds in the final also broke another Shetland record, capping off a superb weekend for him.
Katie Dinwoodie managed to break a Shetland record at the weekend in the women’s 60m heat – and then broke it again in the final.
Dinwoodie set a new best time of 7.96 seconds at the Scottish Universities Indoor Championships, where she was representing Napier University.
Having done so in the first heat, she then went on to set a new record time of 7.91 seconds – winning a bronze medal in the process.
GEORGE Robesten made it successive league starts for Ross County but endured a chastening afternoon at one of Scotland’s toughest venues.
Robesten kept his place in the Staggies team for Sunday’s trip to face Rangers at Ibrox, having become the first Shetlander to start in the Scottish Premiership the week before.
But the teenager and his County team-mates were well beaten by the second-placed Gers, who ran out 4-0 winners days after qualifying for the last 16 of the Europa League.
Robesten was subbed off after playing 85 minutes, and will hope to remain the starting line-up when County travel to Fir Park to play Motherwell on 15 February.
It was a better weekend for midfielder Spencer Moreland, who celebrated signing a new contract with Brechin City by helping them to a 4-2 away win over fourth-placed Clachnacuddin.
Moreland, who has made 31 appearances for the club, signed an extension to his deal to keep him at the club until June 2026.
And he started on Saturday as Brechin eventually eased past their opponents to ensure they moved top of the Highland League.
Brechin manager Patrick Cregg said they were “delighted” to extend Moreland’s stay for a further year.
“He’s a player with great energy and he uses the ball well,” he said.
“He’s on an upward trajectory and there is still time for him to keep improving.”
John Allan was a substitute as Turriff United extended their unbeaten streak to eight games with a 3-0 victory over Wick Academy.
Turriff’s renaissance sees them climb to 10th in the league, just three points behind Buckie Thistle and with a game in hand.
SHETLAND’S young rugby players suffered a home defeat at the hands of nearest rivals Orkney on Friday.
The under-16 side hosted Orkney at the Clickimin rugby pitch in the Caledonia Youth Bowl and Plate competition, slipping to an eventual 27-5 defeat.
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