IHGF president reports on the Costa Mesa Highland Games, which was the fourth leg of the IHGF All American Championships.
 
2017 Costa Mesa Highland Games: Brown Goes out Front
by Francis Brebner
President, International Highland Games Federation (IHGF)
 
Thirty thousand spectators attended the 2017 Costa Mesa Highland Games in Southern California over its two days of festivities and over 100 athletes competed, with the fourth leg of IHGF All American Championships qualifying series pulling a great A class clutch of heavies, including John Anthony, Eddie Brown, Andrew Heaton, Mike Baltren, Sean Feitz, Jason Spraggins, West Imboden, Bryan Staggs, Sean Smith, Sean Burns, and Scott Chisholm.
 
It was tight in the 22-lb. Braemar stone between the top four athletes, with Brown launching 40’ 11” on his final attempt to claim the first win. Second was Anthony at 39’ 10’ and third Burns at 39’ 2”.

The 16-lb. open stone was a dinger of a battle with both Burns and Brown landing at 46’ 8”, with Heaton taking third at 45’.
 
The 28-lb. weight for distance was an exciting slug fest from the first round till the last, with Brown clinching another victory at 72’ 8”. Anthony was second at 70’, with Heaton third at 69’ 3”.

In the 56-lb. weight for distance, Heaton pulled the winning throw of 36’ 7-1/2”. Anthony and Baltren vied for second place with Anthony prevailing by a whisker at 35’ 1/2” over Baltren’s 35’.

The 16-lb. hammer was another victory for Brown, comfortably at 121’ 6”.  Second place was Smith at 115’ 3”, and third Burns with 110’.

In the 22-lb. hammer Brown produced a best of 95” for a double hammer whammy. Burns took second with 88’ 5” and Smith third with 86’ 7”.

The competition caber, 16’ 6” long and 140 lb., had the crowds on the edge of their seats as Brown and Heaton went at it like caged animals, with the win going to Brown, whose tosses included 12:00 and 11:55. Heaton, second, also did 12:00 and third-place Chisholm did 11:55.

In the 56-lb. weight over bar, Heaton made 16’ on his final attempt for the win. Second place was a tie between Anthony and Brown at 15’ on countback.

The 20-lb. sheaf toss was a triumphant win for Anthony at 27’, with Staggs and Heaton tying at 24’ for second.
 
Doug Mostyn, president of the SAAA, and athletic director Joe White were delighted with the weekend of Highland athletics and pleased to see a packed line-up in the A group.

Special mention is given to Jarvina Rout, who set two world records in the woman’s lightweight class: 70’ 5’ in the light weight for distance and 51’ 2-3/4” in the heavy weight for distance.
 
Overall points
1.         Eddie Brown  17.5
2.         Andrew Heaton          29.5
3.         Jon Anthony   30.5
4.         Scott Chisholm           46
5.         Sean Burns      48
6.         Sean Smith      54.5
7.         Mike Baltren   63.5
8.         Jason Spraggins           68.5
9.         Sean Feitz       73.5
10.       West Imboden            88.5 
 
Seven athletes have qualified to date for the IHGF All American Highland Games Championships:
 
1. Skylar Arneson
2. John Anthony
3. Andrew Heaton
4. Eddie Brown
5. Kyle Lillie
6. Sean Smith
7. Scott Chisholm
 
The fifth leg in the IHGF All American series will be at the Pikes Peak Celtic Festival in Colorado on June 17–18.
 
Overall points
1. Mike Dickens                      6.5
2. Chad Thompson      23.5
3. Casey Head 31
4. Daniel Murphy        34
5. Brian Humphries     38
6. Thomas Pennington 53
 
Monica Battle did an outstanding job in her first year as the festival director, along with Grant Oliver as vice chairperson and Chad Thompson as the athletic director.

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