Manning makes her mark at GloHealth Junior and U23 championships
Kilkenny City Harriers' Cliodhna Manning was the star performer at the GloHealth National Junior and U23 Championships in Tullamore winning the women's U23 200m in a new personal best of 23.94 seconds.
Manning will compete in the 100m and the 4 by 100m relay at the upcoming European U23 Track and Field Championships in Tallinn, Estonia on the 9th-12th of July.
The championships, along with national medals at stake, provided the final selection process for Ireland's leading athletes for the European U23 championships along with the European Junior Track and Field Championships in Eskiltuna, Sweden on the 16th-19th of July.
Ennis Track’s Kevin Mulcaire, currently ranked 4th in Europe over 5,000m and a genuine medal contender, dropped down in distance to comfortably win the junior men's 1500m in 4:00.91.
Harry the prince of middle distance
Trim’s Harry Purcell impressed in the junior men’s 800m kicking past Raheny’s Cillian Kirwan to win in 1:53.71. Kirwan clocked 1:54.51 and both are now set for the European Juniors in Sweden. Leevale’s Louise Shanahan is also set for Sweden and she won the combined women’s junior and U23 800m race in 2:12.21. She edged Emerald’s Amy O’Donoghue won the U23 race in 2:12.51.
Bromell’s breakthrough
Jenna Bromell (Emerald) smashed through 55 seconds for the first time to win the junior 400m in 54.70 – this was her second European junior B standard (55.50) and should prove enough for selection.
Kelly’s shot record as Walsh dominates with throws hat-trick
John Kelly’s (Finn Valley) championship best performance of 16.93m in the junior men’s shot put was one of the highlights in the field. There was no stopping Michaela Walsh (Swinford) who recorded a double in the junior women’s javelin and shot put with marks of 39.57m and 14.09m.
Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton) won the U23 long jump with a best of 6.08m while Sam Healy (Leevale) won the junior men’s long jump with 7.19m.
Neville and Lawler continue to shine in the sprints
The junior women’s 100m was eagerly anticipated but there was nothing Blackrock AC’s Gina-Akpe Moses (Louth) or Molly Scott (St Laurence O’Toole’s) could do to stop Ciara Neville winning in a swift 11.68 seconds – unfortunately the +3.1 m/s wind reading was over the legal limit (+2.0).
Marcus Lawler (St Laurence O’Toole’s) laid down a marker in the U23 men’s 100m winning in 10.54 (wind +1.2).