Adeleke Aces Athlone Again
Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght) proved the star turn once more on the Day 2 schedule of the Irish Life Health Juvenile Indoor Championships in Athlone today (March 18).
There were many fine shows of athletics excellence and championship best performances (CBP) but pride of place must go to 15 year-old Adeleke. The Tallaght teenager sped to a CBP of 7.43 seconds in the U17 girls’ 60m which also places her 12th on the Irish all-time list. Full results of the event are HERE
It was an impressive display of sprinting and her friend Patience Jumbo Gula (Dundalk St Gerard’s) was good too in the U18 age group winning in 7.49.
Israel Olatundu (Dundealgan) was another to set a CBP in the 60m. He won his U17 boys’ heat in record time in 6.98 and went on to win the final in 7.04. David Murphy (Gowran) broke 7 seconds with 6.99 to win in the boys U19 60m.
In the middle distance Dylan McBride (Willowfield Harriers) continued his good form to win the boys U16 boys 1500m in 4:19.34.
Cian McPhillips (Longford A.C.) showed the midlands have another miler to be reckoned with and won the U17 1500m in 3:57.28 for a CBP and a European U18 Championship qualifying time. McPhillips ran at the Irish Runner Ray Flynn road mile last year to celebrate the 35th year of his Irish mile record and has certainly drawn inspiration since then.
Louis O'Loughlin (Donore Harriers) was fancied in the boys U18 1500m and was never pressed to win in 4:01.87.
Aimee Hayde (Newport A.C.) bounced back from her disappointment at the Irish Life Health All Ireland Schools Cross Country last week with a championships best performance of 4:28.76 in the girls U16 1500m.
Shona O’Brien (Gneeveguilla A.C.) won an exciting U19 girls’ 1500m in 4:40.24 from Alannah Neff (Leevale A.C.) in 4:40.42.
Gearoid McMahon (Shannon A.C.) was the fastest walker over 1.5k on the day in the boys U19 race walk in 6:12.10 while Orla O'Connor (Waterford A.C.) bested Niamh O'Connor (Celbridge A.C.) in the girls U19 1.5km Walk in 6:48.51 to 6:59.50.
Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) took a fine win in the boys U18 400m in 50.17. Tony Odubote (Ennis Track A.C.) should face good competition in Christopher Duffy (Tallaght A.C.) in the boys U19 400m.
Miriam Daly (Carrick on Suir A.C.) and Ciara Deely (Kilkenny City Harriers A.C.) excelled in their respective girls’ U18 and U19 400m races winning in 57.20 and 56.17.
The U14 high jump brought two good competitions. Evan Hallinan (Craughwell) won on countback in 1.54m from Finn O’Neill (City of Derry Spartans) in the boys’ event. Ava Rochford (Ennis Track A.C.) jumped even higher with an impressive 1.60m to win the girls’ U14 High Jump.
James Murphy (Waterford) won the U19 long jump by 1cm in 6.39m to Jerry Keary’s (Craughwell) 6.38m. Isabelle Doyle (Rathfarnham WSAF) held off Chisom Ugwuera (Ennis Track A.C.) in the girls U17 long jump with 5.11m and Vickie Cusack (Liscarroll A.C.) won the girls U19 with 5.16m.
There were a number of championship best performances in the pole vault. Adam Nolan (SLOT) cleared 2.90m for a CBP in the U15 pole vault with Adam O’Dwyer (Moycarkey Coolcroo) clearing 3.71m for a CBP in the U17s and Matthew Callinan Keenan (SLOT) successfully over 4.26m for a CBP in the U19s.
In the shot put there was a good competition in the girls U16 where Casey Mulvey (Innyvale) won with a best of 14.67m from Aoibhinn McMahon (Blackrock A.C.Louth) with 13.80m. Callum Keating (North Cork) took gold with 14.79m in the boys U15 shot put.