IHGF CEO Francis Brebner has filed a report on the USA vs. Canada Highland Games Team Championships, which produced some impressive throws.
 

Duncan McCallum broke several ground records and tied for first overall at the USA vs. Canada Highland Games Team Championships.  IronMind® | Andrew Kolstad photo
 


2014 USA vs. Canada Highland Games Team Championships
by Francis Brebner
CEO
International Highland Games Federation (IHGF)

 
The USA vs. Canada Highland Games Team Championships held in Bellingham, Washington, had several field records established.  Team USA consisted of Ryan Stewart, Duncan McCallum, Charles Kasson, Robin Knebel and Greg Bell; and Team Canada included Greg Hadley, Josh Goldthorp, Sean Langford, Adam Drummond, and Lance Barusch,
 
McCallum, who has been very consistent in his performance so far this season, producing some very impressive throws, is someone we are going to hear more of in the future, I predict.  He has been tipped as a favorite to clinch the IHGF World Amateur Highland Games Championships title, which will take place in Norway later this month.
 
The competition got under way with the 16-lb. open stone, and as expected, the rising sensation McCallum took the first win with a noble putt of 48’ 10”, which also set a new ground record.  Bell placed second with 47’ 3” and Knebel third at 46’ 11”.
 
In the 22-lb. Braemar stone, McCallum took his second win with a putt of 42’ 10” with yet another ground record to his credit.  Kasson was second with 40’ 1-1/2” and Knebel third at 39’ 11-1/2”.
 
McCallum, now filled with assurance, locked up the weight-for-distance with a talented throw of 80’ 7” for his third straight victory and yet another field record.  Second place went to Stewart with 79’ 10” and third to Kasson with 79’ 2”.
 
In the 56-lb. weight-for-distance, Stewart affirmed the win, but only after a close tussle with McCallum, with a distance of 44’ 4” to establish a new field record.  McCallum was second at 41’ and Kasson third with 40’ 8”.
 
In the 16-lb hammer, Kasson pulled off the win with a distance of 123’ 11” to set a new ground record as well.  Stewart took second with 119’ 4” and Hadley third at 118’ 7”.
 
In the 20-lb. sheaf toss, Stewart reached the winning height of 30’ in his specialized event, with another field record to his credit.  Second equal were Kasson and Goldthorp at 27’.
 
The caber, at 21’ long with no taper and 118 lb., proved somewhat difficult with no successful turns.  Stewart managed a best of 80 degrees, with a tie for second place between McCallum and Hadley with 75 degrees.
 
The final event, the 56-lb. weight-over-bar, was won by Kasson with a height of 16’.  Second was a three-way tie between Knebel, McCallum and Stewart, who all cleared 15’.
 
Athletic directors for the games, Jay “Big Daddy” O’Neill and Bret “Hoss” Lathrop, were delighted with the team championships and the overall level of throwing and hope to build the Highland Games as well as championships games for the future in Bellingham, Washington.

Final scores

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