Beth lets fly at Scot’sh Highland Games. Victoria Wechte photo
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Beth Burton is a former track All-American at Cal State Northridge and has coached at Chico State and a high school. But she doesn’t appear to be throwing her old discus and shot. Instead she heaves trees and rocks. That’s the deal for the Scottish Highland Games, where she recently won a world title in St. Louis. A
great story by Dan Reidel for the Chico Enterprise-Record notes: “Burton got involved in Scottish Highland games heavy throwing about five years ago when she went to an event with her brother that showcased the sport’s nine events in Southern California. Usually all nine events are done in one day which makes it like competing in a decathlon. ‘I saw the heavy athletics and well, I thought I should be doing this,’ Burton said in her classroom at Pleasant Valley High School. ‘This is right in my wheelhouse of experience.’” So I wonder: Why isn’t she throwing hammer and weight in masters track? You can wear your kilt, Beth!
5 Responses
Looks like fun!
There is a lot of cross over and many of us doing both Masters T&F and Highland Games. Ruth Welding, Sue Hallen, Doug Ballard, Kim O’Neill, and many many more. Just keep playing…
I’m going to reverse the question, why aren’t more track athletes coming to the Highland games? Most of the athletes that are competitive have a track and field background. Besides, once you start throwing this stuff, a shot, disc and wire hammer are all too light!
I threw shot and discus in H.S. and College. After a 22 years I started throwing in age group track meets. It was fun to a point. The problem was how poorly the Masters age athletes were treated, as we were made to wait, as children threw. I think it is wonderful to have young people competing, but any kind of event time schedules were a joke. Then at 50 I took up the HIGHLAND GAMES. I love the sport. We throw all day, as part of a huge event that is a blast to be part of. I won the over 50 National Championships 3 time and the Worlds once, and was inducted into the MASTERS HALL OF FAME in 2002. Now at 72 I am throwing the discus again, but for me age group masters track events are boring. 3 throw and go home. I ran a big games in Tulsa, and smaller ones in 3 other states. I made certain the athletes and their families had a full day of fun. Go to hmhe.info to see what I am talking about. The only reason I am preparing for track meets again, is to enjoy the challenge of going after some of the over 70 records. I look forward to being 80.
I occasionally throw Master T&F-shot and discus. I never really learned the footwork for hammer/weight throw and javelin is obviously from another Universe! One of my favorite places to train is where a lot of Northern California throwers train…Shaffer Field near Santa Cruz. I happen to be a lousy shotputter and a decent but not great discus thrower.
One HG off-season I figured it would be best to keep throwing so I just trained shot and discus all winter. It was fun and I did 4-5 local All-Comers meets. I certainly could see doing them again.
However, Dan makes a good point. When you go to a track meet, you sit around a lot. You get your three or six throws and you’re done in 20-30 minutes. This is how it goes unless you’re doing a “throws pentathlon”. At a Highland Games you start throwing at 9:00 AM and you’re not done until 4:00 or 5:00 PM. You throw all day long, with a break for lunch. It’s exhausting but it’s fun. There’s also the “exotic” aspect of throwing a caber. There’s just nothing else like heaving a tree around. Besides, you get to wear a kilt.
Shannon ( I know her well ) is right. After chucking around 42 pound and 28 pound weights, and heaving a 100 pound caber, a 1.5K discus seems awfully light!
In short, Masters shotput and discus is good fun, but honestly, to me…Highland Games is just plain “funner”. But that’s just me…
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