Mens’ LW US Nationals
Brian Hanna Claims Men's Lightweight US Nationals Title at Scotsfest 2026
Utah Scottish Festival and Highland Games | Salt Lake City, Utah | June 13–14, 2026
The Men's Lightweight US Nationals came to life under the Utah sky at Scotsfest 2026, and when the implements were finally put down, it was Brian Hanna standing at the top of the leaderboard. Competing in the Lightweight A class (under 200 lbs), ten athletes took the field in Salt Lake City for one of Scottish athletics' premier national championship events — hosted this year by the Utah Scottish Festival and Highland Games as part of the SAI championship series.
The Champion: Brian Hanna
Brian Hanna earned the national title with a winning score of 26 points, a performance built on remarkable consistency and outright dominance in the throwing implement events. Hanna did not win every event — but he didn't need to. His ability to stack points across the throwing disciplines gave him a cushion that held throughout the day.
The highlight reel for Hanna is difficult to argue with. He posted the top mark in the open stone at 47'6", a throw that stood well clear of the rest of the field. He swept both hammer events, leading with an 85'4" heavy hammer and a commanding 112'0" in the light hammer — the only competitor to crack the 110-foot mark on the day. He also won the light weight for distance at 65'0". Four event wins told the story, and the scoreboard confirmed it.
The Podium
Shane Sutherland (2nd, 29 pts) pushed Hanna throughout the competition and offered arguably the most well-rounded performance of the field. Sutherland won the Braemar stone with a throw of 35'0" and turned in the best weight over bar of the day at an impressive 18'7". His most memorable moment came at the caber: Sutherland was the only athlete to successfully turn the stick, recording an 11:30 and claiming top honors in that event. His day was slightly held back by a heavy hammer of 73'4", which ranked last among the field, but across nine events he showed the kind of all-around athleticism that put him within three points of the title.
Greg Pilling (3rd, 32 pts) rounded out the podium with a strong performance anchored by winning the heavy weight for distance at 44'5.5", edging Sutherland by four inches. Pilling also recorded a 44'1" open stone and was right in the mix all day. Three points covered the top three, making this one of the tighter podiums the Lightweight US Nationals has seen.
The Rest of the Field
Levi Peck (4th, 37 pts) was the only other athlete besides Hanna and Sutherland to hit 30' in the sheaf, and his 83'6" heavy hammer placed him fourth in that event in a very tight hammer group. He finished as the best of the athletes outside the podium, only 5 points back of Pilling.
Jeff Thornton (5th, 49 pts) posted mid-field numbers across the board with steady, reliable performances in nearly every event, including a 41'4.5" heavy WFD that ranked third on the day.
Mac Dillman (6th, 52 pts) contributed a solid light hammer of 101'9" and cleared 30' in the sheaf, holding his own in a competitive field.
Chip Sloan (7th, 62.5 pts) had one of the more interesting scorecards of the day — his light hammer of 105'11" ranked third in the field, a legitimate standout throw, but a no-height in the sheaf and a 70-degree caber score kept points off the board.
Jeremy Irvin (8th, 65 pts) also logged a no-height in the sheaf, which affected his overall standing, but his 102'10" light hammer showed real ability in the throwing implements.
William Keeley (9th, 67 pts) turned in one of the more surprising individual event results of the competition: his 84'1" heavy hammer ranked second in the field and his 106'7.5" light hammer ranked second as well. The hammer numbers are those of a top-five finisher; a lighter day in the throwing events left him further down the overall standings.
Jed Lamont (10th, 75.5 pts) rounded out the field. He showed fight in the heavy WFD with a 38'0" and demonstrated consistent effort across all events despite a difficult day in the stones.
Final Standings
Congratulations to Brian Hanna on a well-earned national title, and to the entire Lightweight A field for putting on a high-quality championship display in Salt Lake City. A special thank you to the Utah Scottish Association and Utah Heavy Athletics for hosting a premier championship event at one of the finest Scottish festivals in the American West.
