HELENSBURGH Amateur Athletics Club’s Alex Burns and Finlay Gray took home three medals between them at the Scottish Athletics West District Championships.

HELENSBURGH Amateur Athletics Club’s Alex Burns and Finlay Gray took home three medals between them at the Scottish Athletics West District Championships.

The event was at Ayrshire Athletics Arena over Friday and Saturday of last week.

Fifteen-year-old Alex, a Hermitage Academy pupil and 13-year-old Finlay, a Lomond School pupil, travelled to the Ayrshire venue to compete against the cream of West of Scotland athletes. With the club'’s head coach, commonwealth silver medal winner Chris Baillie.

The weekend saw Alex competing in triple jump, long jump and 100m sprint. Finlay was contesting 800m and the high jump.

On Friday evening Alex jumped an enormous 11.12m triple jump, beating her previous best by 49cm, that fine form won her a gold medal.

Alex’s performance now ranks her second in Scotland for under-17 female triple jumpers. Both athletes attended on Saturday. Alex, again in fine jumping form, improved on her previous personal best for long jump with a 5.26m jump and picked up a second medal, this time bronze.

Her day was a long one as she also earned a place in the 100m sprint final, and with a time of 13.62s against a headwind, was delighted to finish sixth against a strong entry of 26.

With a morning qualification, Finlay came out strong in the 800m final and led the field until the last minute, when he was forced into second position with a finishing time of 2.10.77, a personal best.

Finlay went on to take a bronze medal in the high jump, equalling his personal best of 1.5m.