Junior Athletes Impress in Mannheim & Watford
There were high quality performances produced by Irish junior athletes at the Mannheim Junior Gala and the BMC meet in Watford over the weekend (27th-28th June). Irish relay teams were out in force in Mannheim with both the men’s and women’s teams achieving qualifying standards for the European junior championships and the women’s team also setting a new Irish junior record.
The women’s team was made up of Ciara Neville (Emerald AC), Phoebe Murphy (Ferrybank AC), Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC) and Sharlene Mawdsley (St Mary’s Newport)) as they scorched around the track to a new Irish record of 45.08 seconds. The time for the quartet improved on the old record of 45.93 set back in 2008.
The men’s team included Eoin Doherty (Tallaght AC), Zak Irwin (Sligo AC), Sean Lawlor (Donore Harriers AC) and Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght AC) as they recorded a time of 40.89 seconds. The impressive time was comfortable inside the qualifying standard (41.20) for the European Junior Championships in Sweden which take place from the 16-19th of July. Other athletes achieving the A standard for the European juniors were Mawdsley in the 200m – 24.05 and Matthew Behan (Crusaders AC) in the 110m hurdles – 14.00.
In the field events Eoin Sheridan (North Westmeath) impressed once again with a throw of 55.43m in the discus and John Kelly (Finn Valley AC) launched out the shot putt to 17.79m.
U23 athlete Sarah Lavin (UCD AC) showed consistent form running times of 13.49 and 13.45 in the 100m hurdlers. Another U23 athlete in impressive form over the weekend was Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers AC) as she ran a time of 11.71 seconds in the 100m at a meeting in Nivelles. The time for Manning was inside the standard (11.75) for the European U23 Track and Field Championships which take place in Estonia from the 9th-12th of July.
BMC Watford
There was a large contingent of Irish athletes competing at the BMC meeting in Watford with Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers AC) providing the highlight by achieving the European junior standard in the 5,000m. O’Leary ran a time of 14.28.16 to comfortable go inside the standard (14.35) for Sweden. Youth athlete Kevin McGrath (Bohermeen AC) obliterated his personal best with a 3.50.33 clocking in the 1500m. Louise Shanahan (Leevale AC) and Nadia Power (Templeogue AC) were another two athletes setting personal bests as they ran times of 2.08.15 (800m) and 4.24.62 (1500m).