HURDLERS LAVIN AND O’CONNOR SHINE AS RAHENY DOMINATE 200M

Close

Competition

HURDLERS LAVIN AND O’CONNOR SHINE AS RAHENY DOMINATE 200M

28 February 2026

The Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena was treated to a host of exhilarating performances on the opening day of the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships (Feb 28th).

Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) claimed her EIGHTH national indoor 60m hurdles title, finishing ahead of World silver medalist Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards) who set a huge indoor PB on her season opener, while the Raheny pair of Sophie Becker and Mark Smyth dominated the 200m sprint finals.

Lavin produced a smooth 60m hurdles run to cross in a winning time of 8.07, finishing ahead of multi-event star Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards) who ran a huge PB of 8.21 to go third on the Irish all-time list behind Derval O’Rourke and Lavin.

Speaking after the race Lavin said: “I’m happy, I would have liked a season’s best but to run sub eight is a difficult task. There were things I did really well there, and some things I need to tidy up but overall, it was a positive run. I want to carry the speed and intent through the race, sprinting is one thing, working on technique for the hurdles is another, and trying to bring those together”.

Speaking with World Indoors on the Horizon, Lavin spoke of her goals for Kujawy Pomorze: “Having made two world finals in recent years, that’s the bare minimum you’d leave happy with, or to run faster than I’ve run before – that’s what I always strived for, to be better than I was before”.

Orlaith Mannion (South Galway AC) rounded out the 60mH podium in third in a time of 8.45.

The men’s 60m hurdles went the way of Adam Nolan (St Laurence O’Toole AC) who successfully defended his 2025 gold with a 8.03. Sean Carmody (Leevale) was second in 8.19, with last year’s high jump champion Ciaran Connolly (Le Chéile AC) third in 8.45.

Sophie Becker stormed to her first national senior indoor 200m title with a superb indoor PB of 23.43, having clocked 23.52 in the afternoon’s earlier heats. Racing out of lane 6, Becker utilised her opening 100m speed to break clear of the field to cross ahead of Molly Daly (Kilkenny City Harriers) 24.07 and Mollie O’Reilly (DSD AC) 24.14.

Speaking after the race Becker said: “I’m delighted with that. My first 200m title and an indoor PB to go with it so two boxes ticked and I’m thrilled to have taken the title. I’ve been lacking a little bit of confidence and the 200 really helps my 400 because I’m more of a speed-based athlete, so to know I have that time over 200 will give me plenty of confidence”.

Becker continued: “It was a tough winter of training. I was on camp in South Africa and I’ve been working hard behind the scenes since going back training last November, so hopefully it’s starting to show now, so onwards and upwards.”

Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock) won his third national indoor title in a titanic tussle with defending champion Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers). The Raheny ace wasn’t for catching as he held off a strong finishing Lawler to cross in a winning time of 21.11. Lawler crossed for second in 21.24, with Adam Murphy (Tinryland AC) third in 21.68.

Away from the track finals, Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) safely secured her passage through to tomorrow’s 400m final as the fastest qualifier with a 52.59, while in the men’s 400m Fintan Dewhirst (Tír Chonaill AC) looked hugely impressive in clocking a personal best of 47.23.

Emma Moore (Galway City Harriers) eased her way through to tomorrow’s 800m final, doing no more than required to clock 2:13.46. Hannah Seagrave (Clonliffe Harriers A.C.) was fastest of the qualifiers in 2:08.03.

Cillian Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock A.C.) was fastest of the men’s 800m, shutting down with meters to go to clock 1:52.33 in an event that looks wide-open in the absence of Mark English and Cian McPhillips.

Ronan McMahon-Staggs (Dublin City Harriers A.C.) was fastest of the qualifiers for tomorrow’s men’s 1500m (4:03.27), with Luke McCann (U.C.D A.C.) also safely progressing on his way to winning the second of the heats in 4:04.29. Neasa Ni Ainifein (Ennis Track A.C.) was fastest of the qualifiers for tomorrow’s 1500m women’s final with 4:30.12.

There was action aplenty in today’s field events. The women’s high jump competition delivered once again, coming down to a jump off between Aoife O’Sullivan (Liscarroll A.C.) and Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley) with O’Sullivan ultimately taking it on a countback with a best clearance of 1.75m. Mohammed Ibrahim Halil (Raheny Shamrock AC) was a hugely popular winner of the men’s high jump, clearing a best of 1.93m ahead of Darragh Kelly (Craughwell AC) and Emmanuel Osas (Ratoath AC) who both cleared 1.90m.

For the first time since 2015, the name of Saragh Buggy was not on the winners list for the triple jump. Daphni Doulaptsi Teeuwen (Raheny Shamrock AC) took the title with 12.54, with Caoimhe Mc Donagh (South Sligo AC)12.21 second, and Anna Ryan (Moycarkey Coolcroo AC) 11.49 third.

A tight contest in the men’s triple jump saw David Onwudiwe (Ennis Track A.C.) retain his title with a best leap of 13.96m, just edging out Darragh Fahy (Loughrea A.C.) by two centimetres. (13.94m).

Michael Healy (Leevale AC) went away with another men’s WFD title with a throw of 9.11m NR, while Kotryna Pacerinskaite (Fanahan Mc Sweeney AC) also retained her WFD title, winning with a huge throw of 8.70 NR.

The 4x200m relays rounded out today’s action with MSB taking the women’s title with 1:42.91, while the men’s title went the way of Ratoath AC 1:28.87.

A second helping of championship action will follow tomorrow with star names including Sharlene Mawdsley, Andrew Coscoran, and Irish 60m record-holder Bori Akinola set to take to competition. Day 2 will get underway from 11.30am with the heats of the 60m getting proceedings up and running.

Finals Results Summary:

Women’s 200m

1 Sophie BECKER Raheny Shamrock A.C. 23.43

2 Molly DALY Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 24.07

3 Mollie O`REILLY Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 24.14

Men’s 200m

1 Mark SMYTH Raheny Shamrock A.C. 21.11

2 Marcus LAWLER Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 21.24

3 Adam MURPHY Tinryland A.C. 21.68

Women’s 60mH

1 Sarah LAVIN Emerald A.C. 8.07

2 Katherine O`CONNOR Dundalk St. Gerards A.C. 8.21