The rain and wind in Tullamore didn’t dampen the spirits or performances on the 4th and final day of the 2021 Irish Life Health National Juvenile Track and Field Championships.
3000m European U20 gold medallist Nicholas Griggs (Mid-Ulster AC) produced the highlight of the day with a blistering front running display to take the 1500m title in a time of 3:50.85 which was a Championship Best Performance.
It completes the double for Griggs who last week took the 3,000m title in an impressive 8.19.76 CBP.
There were a host of other impressive performances over the course of the 3 sessions with the first gold medals of the wet and windy day going the way of Stephen Mannion (South Galway AC) in the U17 400m final (50.83). Mannion battled it out up the home straight with his brother David who would take silver on a special day for the South Galway AC athletes. Conor Byrne of Kilkenny City Harriers would cross for bronze.
The U17 girls 400 final was another competitive event with Hannah Murray (Finn Valley A.C.) brave all the way to the line to take the gold medal in 58.83. Niamh Murray of Bray Runners A.C. was second in 58.92, with Alix Joyce third in 59.01 for Tuam A.C.
Orlagh Leer looked ultra-impressive in taking the U19 400m title as she powered up the home straight to cross in 59.86 to claim gold for Monaghan Phoenix A.C. Jed Walsh (Ratoath AC) took the boys title with him leading from start-to-finish to cross in 49.70.
The girls U18 400m final contained several athletes who have been in tremendous form this season, none more so than the gold medal winner Maeve O’Neill (Doheny A.C.) who backed up her 800m title winning performance last weekend in impressive style.
O’Neill used all of her 800m stamina to power around the home bend before stretching out her lead coming down the home straight to cross the line in 55.87. Emma Moore (Galway City Harriers A.C.) ran a super race for silver in 57.11, with Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers A.C.) taking the bronze in 57.36.
David Bosch (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.) is the new U18 champion, posting a powerful 50.70 performance from Billy Conroy Roche (Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C.) in second and Tom McCutcheon (Nenagh Olympic A.C.) in third.
There was a dominant display from Aoife O’Sullivan in the U19 High Jump with the Liscarroll A.C. athlete clearing 1.70m to claim the gold medal from Eve Leacy (Roundwood and District AC) and Roisin Kellegher (Annalee A.C) who both cleared 1.55m.
Laura Frawley (Emerald A.C.) is the new U18 Long Jump champion. Her first jump of 5.92m proved her best of the day and secured the gold from Katie Nolke (Ferrybank A.C.) 5.88 and Grainne O`Sullivan (Bray Runners A.C.) 5.20 who took the silver and gold medals respectively.
Noah McConway of Ennis Track A.C. is the U18 boys champion with his penultimate jump of 6.40m taking the win in what was a close fought battle with Kieran Cooper of St. L. O'Toole A.C. who finished with a best of 6.30m.
Eilis Ni Dhomhnall Le Cheile A.C. took the U19 Pole Vault title with a 2.30m vault, while Leevale’s Una Brice took the U18 title with a championship best 3.50m clearance in what were anything but ideal early morning conditions.
Brice’s clubmate and National senior champion Conor Callinan took the U18 Pole Vault title with a 4.42m championship best, with Jack Forde claiming gold for Killian AC in the U19 category with a 3.35m.
The girls and boys U16 1500m finals provided some super races in the morning’s session with Lucy Foster of Willowfield Harriers claiming the gold medal with a 4:37.28 performance, while Sean Cronin Clonliffe Harriers A.C. took the boys title in one of the finishes of the day, crossing the line in 4:23.17 from Darragh Mulrooney (Moy Valley A.C.) 4:23.32 and Cormac Dixon (Tallaght A.C.) 4:23.98.
The hurdles athletes were in action in the afternoon’s sessions and the Girls 100m Hurdles final (U18) provided fans with a super finish, with Lucy-May Sleeman and Lucy McGlynn going stride for stride until the final hurdle where Sleeman (Leevale) would eventually pull away to take gold in 14.49.
Lucy McGlynn (Tír Chonaill A.C.) secured silver in 14.65, with Jennifer Swayer taking bronze in 14.78 for St. L. O'Toole A.C.
Niamh McCorry impressed in the U19 category, taking home the gold medal to Annalee A.C. thanks to her 15.78 performance.
Sean Carmody (Leevale A.C.) impressed in taking the boys 100m Hurdles title (U17) in 14.13, while James Ezeeonu EZEONU (Leevale A.C.) is the 110mH U19 champion posting a 14.20.
Callum Keating (North Cork A.C.) is the U18 Shot Put champion having put together a great round of throws. The North Cork athlete improved round on round before claiming a best on his penultimate throw with 15.66m which was almost 3 meters clear of second place.
Hannah Wilson (Kildare A.C.) took the girls U18 Shot Put title with her final throw of 12.07 securing the title in dramatic fashion, bettering the final throw of 11.62 from Adrienne Gallen (Lifford Strabane A.C.).
Peter McDonald produced a perfect consistent round of throw to take the U18 Javelin title with a best of 47.53 for St. Senans A.C, while Leanne Healy took the girls title will a brilliant round of throws topped off by a best of 43.09 for the Marian A.C athlete.
Shercock AC's Thomas Williams put in a huge performance in u14 Hammer, setting a massive CBP with a throw of over 59m, improving the old CBP by 25%.
The remaining finals of the 1500m rounded of the 2021 Irish Life Health Juvenile Championships where Kirsti Charlotte Foster of Willowfield Harriers looked all class in taking the U17 title in 4:31.50. In the boy’s equivalent, Seamus Robinson (City of Derry Spartans) put in the front running performance of the day to gallop to gold in a time of 4:01.54.
Rebecca Rossiter took the U18 title in style for Loughview A.C., crossing the line over 5 seconds clear of the field in 4:42.53 to complete a fantastic double (3,000m champion). It was then the turn of Nicholas Griggs (Mid-Ulster AC) who went from the gun to secure his second gold (U18) in a week with a 3:50.85 CBP.
The penultimate race of the day saw a brilliant finish between Cara Laverty (Finn Valley A.C.) and Jane Buckley of Leevale AC, with Laverty pushed all the way to the line to take gold with an impressive 4:38.89.
The boys U19 race concluded these championships in style with Sean McGinley securing a quick double gold for Finn Valley A.C. with a 4:01.82. McGinley blew the race apart with a 56 second final lap to storm clear of the field and even had time to enjoy the final 20 meters as he crossed the line.
Selected Results:
U17 400m Final:
1 Stephen MANNION BU17 South Galway A.C. 50.83
2 David MANNION BU17 South Galway A.C. 52.07
3 Conor BYRNE BU17 Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 52.62
U17 400m Final:
1 Hannah MURRAY GU17 Finn Valley A.C. 58.83
2 Niamh MURRAY GU17 Bray Runners A.C. 58.92
3 Alix JOYCE GU17 Tuam A.C. 59.01
U18 400m Final:
1 David BOSCH BU18 Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 50.70
2 Billy CONROY ROCHE BU18 Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. A.C. 51.89
3 Tom MCCUTCHEON BU18 Nenagh Olympic A.C. 51.95
U18 400m Final:
1 Maeve O NEILL GU18 Doheny A.C. 55.87
2 Emma MOORE GU18 Galway City Harriers A.C. 57.11
3 Kate O CONNELL GU18 Lucan Harriers A.C. 57.36
U19 400m Final:
1 Orlagh LEER GU19 Monaghan Phoenix A.C. 59.86
2 Laura GALLAGHER GU19 Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 1:02.59
3 Tilly MCKEOWN GU19 Armagh A.C. 1:02.89
U19 400m Final:
1 Jed WALSHE BU19 Ratoath A.C. 49.70
2 Jakob HAMILITON BU19 Willowfield Harriers 50.05
3 Nathan SHEEHY CREMIN BU19 Emerald A.C. 50.50
U19 High Jump:
1 Aoife O SULLIVAN GU19 Liscarroll A.C. 1.70
2 Eve LEACY GU19 Roundwood and District A.C. 1.55
2 Roisin KELLEGHER GU19 Annalee A.C. 1.55
U18 Long Jump:
1 Laura FRAWLEY GU18 Emerald A.C. 5.92
2 Katie NOLKE GU18 Ferrybank A.C. 5.88
3 Grainne O`SULLIVAN GU18 Bray Runners A.C. 5.20
U19 100m Hurdles:
1 Niamh MCCORRY GU19 Annalee A.C. 15.78
2 Lili O CONNOR GU19 Ratoath A.C. 17.50
3 Paula IGWE GU19 Ferrybank A.C. 18.47
U18 400m Hurdles:
1 Lucy-May SLEEMAN GU18 Leevale A.C. 14.49
2 Lucy MCGLYNN GU18 Tír Chonaill A.C. 14.65
3 Jennifer SAWYER GU18 St. L. O'Toole A.C. 14.78
U16 1500m:
1 Lucy FOSTER GU16 Willowfield Harriers 4:37.28
2 Nicole DINAN GU16 Leevale A.C. 4:44.39
3 Erínn LEAVY GU16 Dunleer A.C. 4:45.42
U16 1500m:
1 Sean CRONIN BU16 Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 4:23.17
2 Darragh MULRONNEY BU16 Moy Valley A.C. 4:23.32
3 Cormac DIXON BU16 Tallaght A.C. 4:23.98
U17 1500m Final:
1 Kirsti Charlotte FOSTER GU17 Willowfield Harriers 4:31.50
2 Eimear MCCARROLL GU17 Unatached 4:41.88
3 Anna WATSON GU17 Bray Runners A.C. 4:42.39
U17 1500m Final:
1 Seamus ROBINSON BU17 City of Derry Spartans 4:01.54
2 Harry COLBERT BU17 Waterford A.C. 4:04.76
3 Jack FENLON BU17 St. Abbans A.C. 4:04.90
U18 1500m:
1 Rebecca ROSSITER GU18 Loughview A.C. 4:42.53
2 Hannah KEHOE GU18 Thomastown A.C. 4:47.42
3 Caer NI GHIBNE GU18 Ace A.C. 4:47.58
U18 1500m:
1 Nicholas GRIGGS BU18 Mid Ulster A.C. 3:50.85 CBP
2 Dara DONOGHUE BU18 Lucan Harriers A.C. 4:03.18
3 Sean CONNAUGHTON BU18 Dunleer A.C. 4:03.96
U19 1500m:
1 Cara LAVERTY GU19 Finn Valley A.C. 4:38.89
2 Jane BUCKLEY GU19 Leevale A.C. 4:40.29
3 Emma MURRAY GU19 Clonmel A.C. 4:50.66
U19 1500m:
1 Sean MC GINLEY BU19 Finn Valley A.C. 4:01.82
2 Oisin DAVIS BU19 Craughwell A.C. 4:04.21
3 Cathal O`REILLY BU19 Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 4:04.90
U18 Shot Put:
1 Callum KEATING BU18 North Cork A.C. 15.66
2 Padraic MCCARTHY BU18 Lios Tuathail A.C. 12.72
3 Tadg REILLY BU18 Dunleer A.C. 11.34
