Walsh the star turn at Junior and U23 championships

Walsh's star turn

Michaela Walsh (Swinford) was the star turn at the Irish Life Health Junior and U23 Championships in Tullamore with a national junior record in the hammer.

Walsh was exciting in Tullamore bagging double gold in the junior category. The Swinford athlete won the hammer with a new national junior record of 63.01m while also winning the shot put with an impressive 15.34m. Her hammer mark puts her second on the European U20 rankings going into the European U20 Athletics Championships in Grosseto, Italy later this month.

Other stars at the Irish Life Health Junior and U23 Championships included Ciara Neville (Emerald) winning the junior 100m in 11.59 seconds and 16-year-old Jo Keane (Ennis Track)running a tactically supreme race to win the junior women's 800m in 2:16.46. Keane held off fellow 16-year-old Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) who was second in 2:16.89.

There was also some good 1500m races with Jodie McCann (DSD AC) edging Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry AC)in a thrilling duel in 4:42.41 to 4:42.94. Kevin Kelly (St Coca's) delivered a classy performance to win the U23 men's 1500m in a tactical 4:13.34 with a big pack of runners in contention at the bell.

Back to the sprints and there was more excitement in the 200m with Aaron Sexton (North Down) and Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport) taking impressive victories in the junior races. In the U23 races Adam Murphy (SLOT) edged the men’s with Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) a good winner of the women’s.

The full lap sprints didn’t disappoint either with Mollie O’Reilly (DSD) and Jamie Pender (St Abban’s) taking the junior crowns over 400m. Sophie Becker (St Joseph’s) battled back for a fine gold in the U23 women’s race with Harry Purcell (Trim) winning by a nose from Andrew Mellon (Crusaders).

Sarah McKeever (DSD) set a new national U23 women’s record in the pole vault with a best of 3.95m. Ellie McCartney (City of Lisburn) won the junior title with a best of 3.75m.

Adam King (Iveragh) took a good win in the U23 men’s hammer with a best of 63.15m beating Owen Russell (St Andrew’s) into second who had a best throw of 60.32m.

Ryan Carthy Walshe (Adamstown) cleared 2.05m to win the junior men’s high jump. In the horizontal jumps Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton) and Sam Healy (Leevale) had respective best of 6.18m and 7.22m to be draped with gold medals.

Tallaght impressed to win the junior 4x100m relay for the fifth year in succession in 43.34 seconds.

All the action, which took place in the usual Irish ‘four seasons in one day conditions’, was streamed on the Athletics Ireland Facebook page and can be watched back HERE 

 Full Results are HERE