Young stars look to ace Athlone in U20 and U23 Championships

POSTED:

Young stars look to ace Athlone in U20 and U23 championships

Ireland’s young stars set to take to the blue boards in Athlone for the Irish Life Health U20 and U23 Indoor Championships on Saturday (January 25).

The Championship will be the first live streamed event of 2020 on Athletics Ireland Facebook HERE and there will surely be some new faces to add to those already making their mark. The list of entries is HERE 

Need for speed

There has been a raft of excellent sprinting at levels of the sport in recent years and we should see some more of it in Athlone on Sunday. Patience Jumbo-Gula (Dundalk St Gerard’s) highlights U20 women’s 60m with her training partner Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght) heading the U20 200m entries.

Ciara Neville (Emerald) is down to double in the U23 60m and 200m with Lauren Cadden (Sligo) also listed as doubling. The U23 60m also includes star sprinters Sarah Quinn (St Colman’s South Mayo), Molly Scott (SLOT) and Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn).  

Leevale’s Conor Morey will be looking to have an impact again in the U20 men’s 60m and 200m with Israel Olatunde (UCD) looking the likely favourite. There is a hefty entry in the U20 men’s 60m with a number of entrants bound to be in contention.

The U23 men’s 60m includes Tope Adeyeye (Sli Cualann) and Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght) while the 200m has David McDonald (Menapians) and Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC) on the entry list.

Rachel McCann (North Down) and Simone Lalor (SLOT) look set to feature in the U20 women’s 400m with Nicole Walsh (Galway City Harriers) keen to continue last year’s success in the U23 women’s 400m.

There are a host of good runners entered in the U20 men’s 400m Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) among those who was on the European U20 4x400m relay team including Ciaran Carthy (DSD).

The U23 men’s 400m also has competitive entries including Cathal Locke (Dooneen) and Cathal Crosbie (Ennis Track).

Exciting hurdles duel

Sarah Quinn had a breakout year last summer over the hurdles and looks set to have an exciting duel with Molly Scott – both are down for the 60m also so it should be a busy day for the pair.

Joseph McEvoy (Nenagh Olympic AC) and Valantinos Goularas (Crusaders) should be two key contestants in the U20 and U23 men’s 60m hurdles.

Middle distance Maestros

Ava O’Connor (Tullamore Harriers) is down for the U20 800m and 1500m and should feature strongly in both or if she decides to just focus on one event.   

The U23 women’s 1500m includes Jodie McCann (DCH) and Jo Keane (Ennis Track) in a sizeable entry.  

Tommy Connolly (Leevale) is amongst an open field in the U20 men’s 800m while in the U23 men’s 800m it is hard to look past Mark Milner (UCD) if he is in shape.

Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers) and potentially Kevin McGrath (Bohermeen) are two of the likely suspects for the men’s U23 1500m crown.

Game of throws

Michaela Walsh (Swinford) and Elizabeth Morland (Cushinstown) are set to do battle in the U23 women’s shot put while there is a good entry is the U20 women’s shot. Ciara Sheehy (Emerald), Lystus Ebosele (UCD) and Aoibhinn McMahon (Blackrock Louth) will be three of the main protagonists. 

In the U20 men’s shot Gergely Pap (St Paul’s) and Sean Carolan (Nenagh Olympic). Brow Rangers have a strong trio in the U23 men’s shot.  

Hitting the heights

The U20 high jump sees Ciara Kennelly (Killarney Valley) and multi-eventer Laura Frawley (St Mary’s Limerick) among the leading entries while Daena Kealy (St Abban’s) heads the U23 high jump.  

There are big entries in the U20 men’s high jump and long jump. The high jump includes Nelvin Appiah (Longford) and Jospeh McEvoy (Nenagh Olympic).

Ryan Carthy Walshe (Adamstown) and Ciaran Connolly (Le Cheile) look set to duke it out in the U23 men’s high jump while Christopher Kearns (Finn Valley) and Jai Benson (Lagan Valley) will hope to have an impact in respective U20 and U23 triple jump competitions.

Multi-eventer Darragh Miniter (Nenagh Olympic) is among big competition in the U20 long jump while the U23 men’s event is open with Joseph Miniter (St Mary’s Clare) who could spring into the medals.

There is a good entry in the U20 women’s long jump with Ruby Millet (St Abban’s) Adeyemi Talabi (Longford) and Kate Hosey (Corran) among the listed entrant. National combined events champion Elizabeth Morland (Cushinstown) heads the U23 long jump.

The triple jump sees Laoise McGonagle (Tir Chonaill) in the U20 list and Grace Furlong (Waterford) and Kim O’Hare (Raheny Shamrock) go in the U23 triple jump.

Anna Ryan (Moycarkey Coolcroo) and Sarah Zia Buckley (Leevale) are among the U20 women’s pole vault with Ciara Hickey (Blarny/Inniscara) in the U23 pole vault.

Adam Nolan (SLOT) is entered in a host of events including the U20 men’s pole vault which looks open with Matthew Callinan Keenan (SLOT) in the U23 section.

There is a good entry in the U20 women’s 3,000m race walk including internationals Sarah Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) and Emily MacHugh (Naas). Niamh O’Connor (Celbridge) and Rachel Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) is among those in the U23 women’s.

Oisin Lane (Mullingar Harriers A.C.) goes in the U20 men’s 3,000m race walk and Joseph Mooney (Adamstown AC) goes in the U23 men’s event.

Newsletter sign up

Sign-up for the Athletics Ireland E-Zine with exclusive interviews, coaching news and offers!

Which of the following best describes you?