Busy weekend in Tullamore
It will be a busy weekend of action for Day 1 and Day 2 of the Irish Life Health National Juvenile Track and Field Championships at Tullamore Harriers’ stadium (July 14/15).
Many of the stars of the European U18 championships will be competing over the course of the weekend and that energy should permeate into an energetic crowd.
Day 1 will be live streamed on the Athletics Ireland Facebook page HERE with the track events starting with hurdles events from U13 60m hurdles right up to the U19 100m and 110m hurdles for boys and girls respectively.
A lot of the athletes for listed for multiple events in search of national medals and competition. Laura Frawley (St Mary’s Limerick) is among those in the girls’ U15 80m hurdles and also in the high jump.
Harry Nevin (Leevale) is also set to be another serial performer in the U15 age group where on day 1 he is down for the boys’ 80m hurdles and shot put.
U18 heroines Ruby Millet (St Abban’s) and Sophie Meredith (St Mary’s Limerick) are listed in the long jump and that should provide an exciting duel.
Multi-event star Kate O’Connor (St Gerard’s Dundalk)is also listed for a lot of events and would be a welcome sight if she competes as she has been laid low in recent weeks. She is in the U19 long jump which also includes fellow multi-event specialistst Lara O’Byrne (Donore Harriers) and Vickie Cusack (Liscarroll).
The middle distance will range from the 600m and 800m depending on the age category. Emma Moore (Galway City Harriers) is one to watch in the U15 girls’ 800m as is European U18 representative Molly Brown (MSB) in the U18 age group.
Louis O’Loughlin (Donore Harriers), who was a semi-finalist in Gyor, and his teammate Jack Raftery are two to keep an eye on in the U18 boys’ 800m.
Tony O’Connor (Naas) and Mark Milner (Tullamore Harriers) are listed in the U19 boys’ 800m.
Laura Nicholson (Bandon) is on the return to full fitness and will be fancied in the U19 girls’ 3,000m steeplechase.
Joseph McEvoy (Nenagh) has a potentially busy weekend and will be aiming to do well in the U18 boys’ javelin.
James Kelly (Finn Valley) will be the favourite in the U19 boys’ shot put with Lystus Ebosele (DMP) one the main contenders in the U18 girls’ shot put.
Day 2
The walks get the track programme on day two with athletes to look out for including: Maeve O’Connor (Waterford) in the U15 girls’ 2km walk, Matthew Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) in the U16 boys’ 3km walk, Oisin Lane (Mullingar Harriers), who competed in the Europeans, in the U17 boys’ 3km walk and Sarah Glennon (Mullingar Harriers), who also competed in Hungary, in the U18 girls’ 3km walk.
It goes from distance to speed then with the 100m and Sally Sumola (Clonliffe Harriers) is in the U15 girls’ 100m and is also down in the long jump.
Helen Ikpotokin (St Michael’s) and Kate Hosey (Corran) are among those in the U16 girls’ 100m.
Raheny Shamrock pair, Michael Farrelly, and, Sean L’Estrange, are two of the leading contenders in the U17 boys’ 100m.
Lauren Cadden (Sligo) is down for the girls’ U19 100m with Tony Odubote (Ennis Track) and Joseph Finnegan Murphy (Dublin Striders) among those in the U19 boys’ 100m.
Josh Delaney (Nenagh Olympic) will be busy throwing and is one of those to watch out for in the U16 boys’ hammer and the shot put.
Other throwers to look out for include Aoibhinn McMahon (Blackrock-Louth) in the girls’ U16 shot put, Ciara Sheehy (Emeradl) in the U17 hammer and Marguerite Furlong (Adamstown) is amongst those in the U19 girls’ discus.
Conor Cusack (Lake District) returns from the European U18s to look for a good throw in the U17 boys’ javelin.
Iarlaith Golding (St Colman’s South Mayo) is listed in the U17 boys’ 400m and high jump with Wymin Sivakumar (Leevale) in the U17 boys’ triple jump.
Orla Coffey (Carraig na bhFearr) will be looking to vertical for gold in the U17 girls’ pole vault.
Over one lap Simone Lalor (SLOT), U18 girls’ 400m, Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) and Cormac O’Rourke (Lagan Valley) in the U18 boys’ 400m and Jack Mitchell (SLOT) U19 boys’ 400m will be looking to outlast lactic acid ahead of their rivals.
In the distance, Saoirse O’Brien (Westport) U17 3,000m, Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) U18 3,000m and Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) 3,000m will be on the quest for gold.