RAIN FAILS TO DAMPEN QUALITY ON DAY TWO OF JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Day Two of the 123.ie National Juvenile Championships took place in difficult conditions today (Saturday 222nd July) in Tullamore.
Despite having to brave the elements there was some quality performances from some of Irish athletics top young talents.
The walks got the action underway in Tullamore with a host of impressive performances across the age categories.
Tuam A.C. athletes achieved an impressive double victory at U16 level. Matthew Newell knocked over forty-five seconds off the previous championship record in the boy’s 3000m race, while Savanagh O’Callaghan stormed to gold in the girls 2000m race. Both athletes had won gold at the SIAB Track and Field meet in Scotland the week before.
Ciara Wilson Bowen (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.) took the Girls U19 walk title, while Andrew Glennon (Mullingar Harriers A.C.) was a comfortable winner in the Boys U19 event.
The one-lap action thrilled those in attendance, with some fast medal winning runs.
In the Girls U17 final, Maria Zakharenko (Kilcoole A.C.) broke 57 seconds as she took gold, while fellow Leinster athlete John Delaney (St. Abban’s A.C.) won the Boy’s race in the same age group.
Sean Doggett (Athenry A.C.) celebrated in style as he crossed the line to take the U18 Boys title in a speedy 49.25. Daisy Walker (Monaghan Phoenix A.C.) had to contend with a difficult lane eight draw in the Girls U18 final but this didn’t prevent her from emerging victorious.
Hannah Murphy (Finn Valley A.C.) was the best of the U19 Girls, while South Galway twins David and Stephen Mannion took gold and silver respectively in the Boys U19 race. Stephen was separated by less than one hundred of a second from Jack Kelly (Tallaght A.C.) in third.
It seemed just as the distance athletes headed into action that the heavens in the Midlands opened. Donore Harriers took two golds over 3000m, with Emily Bolton taking the U16 Girls title and Julie Cleary coming out on top in the U17 race.
Conor McGuirk (Lusk A.C.) seemed out of contention with 250m to go in the U16 Boys race but found something within himself to make up the ground and take victory, while Francis Donoghue (South Sligo A.C.) also had a narrow triumph in the U17 category.
The Girls U18 and U19 races were ran together and it was U18 athlete Anna Gardiner (East Down A.C.) who won convincingly, just breaking ten minutes. Eleanor Foot (Bray Runners A.C.) left Tullamore with the U19 title.
Charlie Jones (Lagan Valley A.C.) dug deep to win the U18 Boys race, while Liam McCay (Finn Valley A.C.) had nearly twenty seconds to spare on the silver medallist as he won U19 gold.
In the shorter sprints there was great excitement amongst the home crowd as Alisha Maher (Tullamore Harriers A.C.) took gold into a slight headwind.
David Ebo (Middleton A.C.) looked classy as he won the U17 Boys race.
There was no great surprise when U18 60m indoor champion Jamie Moffatt (North Down A.C.) added the outdoor 100m crown to his ever-growing collection, blitzing the field from the gun, while Fatima Amusa (Leevale A.C.) couldn’t contain her delight as she won the Girls U18 race.
Despite there being some confusion Dannan Long (Enniscorthy A.C.) was eventually awarded with gold after the Boys U19 final, while Laura Bolster (Cushinstown A.C.) won the U19 Girls decider.
There was no shortage of excitement in the Shot Put circle. Caoimhe Gallen (Lifford Strabane A.C.) showed her class to win the Girls U17 competition. Kerry man Kieran Keane (An Riocht A.C.) was a big winner of the Boys U16 contest.
One of the standout performances in the Long Jump was an excellent championship record from Ryan Onoh (Leevale A.C.), who jumped out to 6.63m, adding 1cm to the previous record set in 2015. Patrick Cuddy (Swinford A.C.) jumped over 5.50m to win the U14 Boys title.
All of Oisin Joyce’s (Lake District A.C.) throws in the Boys U19 Javelin were over the previous Championship Record. He threw a best of 69.43m to comfortably win gold.
Ellie McCurdy (Lifford Strabane A.C.) took the Girls U19 title.
Holly Wright (Crookstown Millview A.C.) and Liam Shaw (Athenry A.C.) took the Girls and Boys U19 Discus titles, respectively.
Cara Ryan (Clonmel A.C.) was just 2cm off the championship record in the Girls U14 High Jump, clearing 1.60m, while Donal Ryan (Templemore A.C.) claimed the Boys U14 title.
Aoibhin McDonald (St. Abban’s A.C.) cleared 3m to win the Girls U19 Pole Vault. Poppi Devereaux (Youghal A.C.) cleared the same height to win the Girls U18 title.
There was just two Triple Jump competitions and they saw Darragh Fahy (Loughrea A.C.) and Daniel Oluwalaanumi Sangodele (Galway City Harriers) take the Boys U17 and U16 crowns.
The aforementioned Caoimhe Gallen took the Girls U17 Hammer title, while Bobbie Gleeson (Templemore A.C.) came out on top in the Boys U17 competition. Thomas Williams (Shercock A.C.) was just 11cm off the championship record in the U16 Boys event throwing a phenomenal 72.13m.
The action resumes at 10am tomorrow morning.