Discus girl excels on international debut

MORAY discus schoolgirl Dionne Milne threw a personal best to finish third in her international debut at the Celtic Games.

The thirteen-year-old Milnes High pupil was representing Scotland for the very first time at the competition in Antrim, Northern Ireland.

And despite being up against older and more experienced throwers in the under-16 event, Dionne's final throw of 34.97 metres was enough to clinch third spot and points for her country.

"It was good to finish with a personal best. My first couple of throws were not too great but I was quite happy in the end," she said.

The two points Dionne won for Scotland helped them clinch the trophy as overall winners.

The Orton-based athlete, who competes for Moray Road Runners, is already a Scottish under-16s champion at her chosen sport and has risen to the top of the national rankings.

Remarkably, Dionne, from Orton, only took up the discus two years ago and only began athletics at the age of 10.

Now she is gaining international recognition after becoming a Scottish champ. She won gold in the under-15s discus at last month’s Scottish Young Athletes’ championships final in Scotstoun, and followed it up with victory in the under-16s competition of the National Age Group Championships and Celtic Games Trials the following weekend.

At the Antrim Forum on Saturday she was only beaten by a more experienced Welsh girl and an Irish athlete.

The dedicated youngster trains up to five times a week at Elgin’s Morriston playing fields, as well as stints in Inverness.

Her next big event is at the Inter Regional Championships in Wishaw on August 27, where Dionne will be competing for Grampian.

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