TALENTED teenage hurdler Heather Paton has set her sights on reaching the 2018 Commonwealth Games after securing her maiden Scottish national title.

The 19-year-old from Evesham roared to victory in the women’s 60m hurdles at the Scottish Senior Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

Paton, a former Pershore High School pupil, took first place in Scotland after clocking 8.74 seconds – just outside her personal indoors best of 8.60.

She is training hard in her bid to make the Scotland squad for the Commonwealth Games in two years at the Gold Coast, Australia.

The teenager has a strong sporting pedigree because her father is former Worcester Warriors coach Billy McGinty, who played rugby league for Great Britain, Warrington and Wigan.

McGinty is a former Scotland rugby league head coach and is currently coaching rugby union at Malvern Rugby Club and Malvern College.

“I have been hurdling for five or six years now and I have won a couple of senior championship medals in the past but this was my first gold medal,” said Paton.

“I am very proud because I am now the number one female hurdler in Scotland for all ages.

“I have competed once for Scotland at under 18s level and my aim is to get a senior vest for Scotland.”

Born in Cheshire, Paton moved to Worcestershire when her father landed a coaching role at Sixways.

She said: “My dream is to get to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast and that would be for Scotland,” said Paton, who is fitting her intensive athletics training around a part-time job.

“My main focus is to achieve that goal and I have decided to concentrate on my athletics so that I can give it my best shot."

She competes for the established Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham and also runs for Worcester Athletic Club.

Paton trains six times a week – three tracks sessions and three weights sessions – and is supported by Rivers fitness in Evesham and PlayerLayer.

“I have always been involved in sport because of my family’s background and I got into athletics at school when one of the teachers suggested I joined a club,” she recalled.

“I started off by sprinting and then I gradually became a hurdler and I have not looked back since.

It promises to be an action-packed year on the track for Paton, who is preparing for the Indoor British Championships in Sheffield later this month.

“I have run against the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill at outdoor events and it’s a great experience to learn from fantastic athletes like her,” she said.

“My personal best indoors is 8.60 seconds and I am hoping I can do that at the British Championships later this month.”