Juvenile stars double up to deliver final flourish

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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

  • Full results: Click HERE
  • Day 3 Report: Click HERE
  • Day 1 & 2 Report: Click HERE

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