The domestic outdoor season starts off with a bang this weekend with the Irish Universities Track and Field Championships taking place this Friday and Saturday (April 11th and 12th) in Morton Stadium. The 103rd edition of the event is hosted by Dublin City University (DCU) who are looking to retain their overall, women’s and men’s teams titles won last year in Belfast.
The competition will be streamed live on the Athletics Ireland YouTube channel HERE.
Live Results are HERE.
Men’s Team Competition
The host college have enjoyed an embarrassment of success in seasons gone by, but their title claims look to face a severe challenge from perennial rivals University of Limerick (UL). The Plassey students boast an impressive array of talent across all disciplines and fell just short at the Indoor Championships in February, missing out by just 7.5 points to replicate their victory in 2022. The stage is set once again for a nail-biting battle which may come down to Saturday afternoon’s relays.
Munster Technological University (MTU) were an impressive 3rd at the Indoors in February and South East Technological University (SETU) boast a very strong entry in the sprint events so expect them to battle well for the minor placings. UCD will look to build upon their sprint successes from last year as they look to bridge a 20-year gap to their last O’Sullivan Cup win.
Women’s Team Competition
DCU will look to continue their 19-year streak at the top of the women’s standings but similarly to their men’s team they may face stiff opposition, this time from their South Dublin rivals UCD. The Southsiders spearheaded by Olympian Nicola Tuthill showed signs of a rising tide at the Indoor Championships and they will be looking to rock the boat come Saturday afternoon. UL may well be the best suited to mountain a challenge beyond the Dublin pair, the final placings could be determined by the minor places beyond the podium with every point crucial in the race for the Martin Trophy.
Sprints
A clean sweep of the five relays last year in Belfast helped UCD to romp home to an emphatic sprints team title. They look set to mount a strong defence of their title again. Provisional entries indicate star man Bori Akinola’s involvement may well be limited to relays, but they still can call on Darragh Murphy (200m), Aisling Kelly (100m & 200m) and Molly Hourihan who will boast enough experience to lead the UCD sprinters.
Other notable sprint entries include Max O’Reilly (MTU) and Gabriel Kehinde (TUS) in the Men’s 100m. Robert McDonnell, Andrew Egan (both UG) and Colin Doyle in the 200m and Eoin Kenny (UL), Ben Edeh (ATU) and Ciaran Carthy (DCU) in the 400m.
In the women’s sprints, Aisling Kelly (UCD) headlines the 100m whilst in the 200m Katie Bergin (UCC) and Lauren McCourt (UL) are the leading entrants. Kate O’Connell (DCU) and Molly Hourihan (UCD) are the names to note in the Women’s 400m.
SETU have carved out their own sequence of dominance in the sprint hurdles thanks to Adam Nolan and Arabella Adekoya. They will both aim to defend their titles on Friday evening. Cara Murphy (UCD) and Fintan Dewhirst (UL) look set to be to the fore of the 400m Hurdles event.
Distance
With entries for each event subject to confirmation 90 minutes before it starts the distance events are hard to predict. The University of Galway were the winners of the overall Cross Country title in October and given their continued success during the season they would dearly love to bring a track endurance trophy to Dangan. However, DCU have never lost this title and can draw upon a wide variety of talent to hold onto their trophy.
In the 800m, Callum Hurley (DCU) and Kyle Moorhead (UG) will be looking to turn indoor podiums to gold, while Aoife Delargy (UCC) looks well placed to mount a challenge in the women’s event. However, Lucy Holmes (MTU) looks set to do defend her double of titles in the 800m and1500m. Holmes was impressive in breaking the IUAA 1500m indoor record in February and completing the 800m/1500m double in Belfast last year. Eimear Maher (UCC) returning from injury could be keen to seek revenge for her silver medal finish in Belfast last year.
The Men’s 1500m boasts 41 entries with Sean Quinn (UCD) and Jake Bagge (UL) amongst the entries. The Men’s 5000m also boasts a huge entry of 48 athletes. Michael Murphy (DCU) and Niall Murphy (UL) are amongst the standout names. Kevin McGrath (Maynooth University) is also an interesting entry in the 5000m event.
Mark Hanrahan (UL) and Jonas Stafford (UCD) look set to do battle in the 3000m Steeplechase and in a wide-open entry in the 10,000m, Paul Hartnett (UCC) and Daniel Ryan Ellis (UG) could well be to the fore. The Men’s Walk will see Jake O’Brien from UL seek to continue his great form of late.
In the Women’s 3000m, Lucy and Kirsti Foster (Queen’s University Belfast) and Avril Millerick (DCU) will renew their rivalries. Another set of sisters, Alex and Avril Cashman (UCC) will toe the line against Amy Greene (DCU) in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase. In the 5000m, Fiona Everard (UG) is the standout name. DCU pair Ciara Wilson Bowen and Ciara Mooney will be to the fore of the Women’s Walk.
Jumps
University of Limerick were the popular winners of last year’s jumps competition, lead by multi-events star Laura Frawley they send a strong team of jumpers including both the Men’s Indoor Long and Triple Jump champions from February, Luke O’Carroll and Aaron O’Connor. Frawley is scheduled to go in both the Long and High Jump.
Aside from O’Carroll there is a plethora of Long Jump talent including Adam Turner (MTU) and Oisin Thompson (ATU). O’Connor will have Karl Martin (Ulster University) for company in the Triple Jump.
Laura Frawley won the indoor title beating Triple Jump specialists Daphni Doulaptsi-Teeuwen (DCU) and Grace Fitzgerald (UCD). All three are scheduled to compete again.
Daphni Doulaptsi-Teeuwen should be to the fore of the Triple Jump once again along with both Fitzgerald sisters, Grace (UCD) and Lucy (UCC). Caoimhe McDonagh (ATU) is also a serial medallist in the event.
The High Jump looks set to be a blue riband event this year with Aoife O’Sullivan continuing to impress. The MTU student soared to 1.85m in February and is well placed to continue that form into the outdoor season. DCU multi-eventers Emmanual Osas and Jack Forde are expected to be to the fore the Men’s.
In the Pole Vault, Abbie O’Neill (QUB) should be in contention, whilst the Men’s looks poised between veteran Aaron Malik (UL) and Conor Callinan (DCU).
Throws
Nicola Tuthill highlights the throwing entrants. The newly minted U23 European Throwing Cup gold medallist will take to the Hammer circle on Saturday morning at 11am.
It may be UL’s weekend for the Throws Cup. They boast an impressive array of talent that could see them claim a first throws trophy since 2010. There will be a lot of busy throwers across both days with many entered in multiple events.
Kotryna Pacerinskaite (UL) looks set to compete in every throw, but she will look to extend her IUAA Weight for Distance record that she set last year. Ciara Sheehy (DCU) will look to go in a variety also, but her eyes will be on the defence of her Shot Put title. Leanne Healy (UL) will defend her Javelin title. Anna Gavigan (DCU) looks the class of the Discus field.
The Men’s Shot Put will see Callum Keating (UL) seek to defend his title. His UL classmate, Oisín Joyce could make his bow in IUAA competition in Friday’s Javelin. Coil O’Muiri (DCU) will aim to defend his hammer title and could face competition from the Weight for Distance champion Robert Higgins of MU. Higgins will seek to complete a four-in-a-row in the Weight event. The Discus sees Sam Vines (SETU) looking to go one better than a second place finish in Belfast.
Combined Events
Laura Frawley (UL) is the undisputed multi-events queen of IUAA competition. Boasting 16 medals at the level she looks set to continue this dominance. Her priority will be retaining her multi-events title and potentially leading UL to the Adidas Cup for Best multi-events team. Caoimhe Fitzsimons (DCU) looks set to be the best challenge to Frawley.
Jack Forde (DCU) is a notable omission from the men’s start list which should leave Emmanual Osas (DCU) heir apparent. Forde who is entered in a selection of field events has been nursing an injury for the last number of months.
Preview by Jack Hickey (IUAA committee)
