Israel Olatunde (UCD AC) starred at the 2022 Irish Life Health National Junior and U23 Championships in Tullamore today (July 17th), smashing his own Irish U23 100m record with a stunning 10.24 (NU23 & CR) in the blisteringly hot conditions.
It was a 100m race for the sprinting ages, with Toluwabori Akinola of Fingallians AC claiming silver in a huge breakout performance of 10.30 to go joint 4th on the Irish all-time list behind Olatunde. Akinola would also go on to claim silver in the 200m (21.37), a race won by the ever-consistent Colin Doyle (Leevale) in 20.90.
It continues a remarkable season for Olatunde who had already secured the national senior indoor and outdoor titles earlier this season. The UCD star is now set to turn his attention to preparations for the upcoming European Championships in Munich (selections to be confirmed the first week in August).
Laura Nally of Galway City Harriers took the women’s U23 100m title in 12.14, while the junior titles went the way of Runo Ayavoro (Newbridge A.C. 10.49) and Lucy-May Sleeman (Leevale A.C. 11.63). Sleeman would sign off the day by securing gold in the 200m later in the evening (24.32).
Lauren Cadden of Sligo AC secured the national U23 200m title (24.42), following up on the senior gold which she won in Morton Stadium last month.
James Ezeonu (Leevale AC) looked ultra-smooth in the junior men’s 200m, powering up the home straight to cross in 21.43.
Nick Griggs (Mid Ulster AC) made a decisive move at the bell in the junior men’s 3000m final, storming clear of the field to claim gold in a time of 8.17.24. Attention will now likely turn the World U20 Championships in Colombia in 3 weeks’ time for the double European U18 champion (team selections due in the next 48 hours).
Ava O’Connor returned from a season of competition stateside to take the U23 1500m for Tullamore Harriers. O’Connor finished in a time of 4:38.07.
The junior men’s 1500m final was a thriller with Ennis track pair of Mark Hanrahan (3.65.49) and Dean Casey (3.56.94) battling it out for gold in a stride for stride finish. Aaron Shorten of St. L. O'Toole secured bronze in 3:57.77.
Louis O’Loughlin (Donor Harriers) produced an expert performance to claim the U23 800m title, crossing in 1:51.21 to claim gold.
Over the long hurdles it was Lucy McGlynn (Tir Chonaill) who impressed once more, claiming the 400mH junior title in 1:01.22 before doubling up to claim gold in the 100mH with a time of 14.02.
It was a Leevale 1-2 in the junior men’s 110mH with James Ezeonu (14.20) getting the better of clubmate Sean Carmody (14.58).
Leevale also claimed gold in the junior men’s long jump competition with Reece Ademola posting a Championship Record on his way to claiming the title with a best jump of 7.76m CR.
Sean Mockler (Moycarkey Coolcroo AC) collected another national gold medal in the men’s U23 hammer thanks to a best of 60.07m, while Nicola Tuthill (Bandon AC) continues to make her way back from a long-term injury, taking the junior hammer title today with 57.07m. Five of Tuthill’s six throws were over 56m.
Una Brice (Leevale 3.70m Junior) and Mattew Callinan Keenan (SLOT 4.40m U23) doubled up on their national senior titles to take their respective junior and U23 gold medals in the pole vault today.
Jordan Lee claimed his first national outdoor title in the men’s U23 high jump competition thanks to a best clearance of 1.85m.
Anne Gavigan (LSA) took the junior discus title with 46.35, adding to her outstanding medal haul this season (school gold, senior gold, U19 juv gold), while Conor Cusack (Lake District) continues his domination of the javelin by taking gold with a best throw of 58.88m.
The relay teams won’t have needed any pre-race team talks, buoyed by watching their heroes competing in the World 4x400m (mixed) final 48 hours previous. The relays signed off the 2022 Irish Life Health National Junior and U23 Championships in style, with Ratoath AC showing their strength across the relay events once again, taking the junior women’s 4x100m and 4x400m titles.
Select Results:
Junior W 400mH
1 422 Lucy Mc Glynn JUN W Tír Chonaill A.C. 1:01.22
2 423 Alexandra Joyce JUN W Tuam A.C. 1:05.05
3 426 Cara Murphy JUN W Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 1:05.35
Junior M 400mH
1 Ryan Canning JUN M Letterkenny A.C. 56.45
2 Cillian McCabe JUN M Rathfarnham W.S.A.F A.C. 58.83
3 Eoghan MacMuiris JUN M Dundrum South Dublin A.C 1:00.03
U23 W 400mH
1 4 435 Molly Hourihan U23 W Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 1:05.23
2 5 434 Charlotte Bourke U23 W Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 1:07.84
3 2 429 Orla Coffey U23 W Carraig-Na-Bhfear A.C. 1:09.26
U23 M 400mH
1 5 678 Ciaran Nugent U23 M Carraig-Na-Bhfear A.C. 53.64
2 6 677 Eoin Sharkey U23 M Tír Chonaill A.C. 56.67
3 4 676 Daragh Mcauley U23 M Donore Harriers 56.84
Junior M 110mH
1 3 642 James Ezeonu JUN M Leevale A.C. 14.20
2 1 648 Sean Carmody JUN M Leevale A.C. 14.58
3 2 644 Zane Mcquillan JUN M Ballymena and Antrim A.C. 14.91
Junior W 400m
5 509 Kate O`Connell JUN W Lucan Harriers A.C. 55.15
2 1 1635 Victoria Amaidamen JUN W Dooneen A.C. 57.01
3 3 512 Hannah Murray JUN W Finn Valley A.C. 57.49
Junior M 400m
1 5 790 Robert irvine Byrne JUN M Tallaght A.C. 48.52
2 4 783 Callum Baird JUN M Ballymena and Antrim A.C. 48.89
3 6 689 Andrew Egan JUN M Galway City Harriers A.C. 48.95
U23 W 400m
1 6 523 Blanaid Fogarty U23 W Enniscorthy A.C. 56.78
2 5 521 Miriam Daly U23 W Carrick-on-Suir A.C. 56.89
3 4 522 Caoimhe Cronin U23 W Le Chéile A.C. 57.50
U23 M 400m
1 5 800 David Ryan U23 M Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C. 49.15
2 3 802 Eoin Kenny U23 M Waterford A.C. 49.79
3 6 805 Aaron Tierney Smith U23 M Menapians A.C. 50.49
U23 M 800m
1 2 773 Louis O`Loughlin U23 M Donore Harriers 1:51.21
2 5 766 Jake Bagge U23 M Ferrybank A.C. 1:53.95
3 4 774 Kyle Moorhead U23 M Craughwell A.C. 1:55.62
U23 W 800m
1 8 486 Lucy Holmes U23 W West Waterford A.C. 2:14.91
2 7 1630 Shona O`Brien U23 W Cork Track Club 2:15.31
3 3 490 Sarah Clarke U23 W Na Fianna A.C. 2:18.35
Junior M 5000m Walk
1 1 661 Jake O`Brien JUN M Moy Valley A.C. 23:24.09
Junior W 5000m Walk
1 3 413 Aisling Lane JUN W Mullingar Harriers A.C. 15:04.44
2 1 410 Ciara Mooney JUN W Adamstown A.C. 15:24.57
3 6 412 Méabh O`Connor JUN W Waterford A.C. 15:32.40
U23 M 3000m Walk
1 5 662 Oisin Lane U23 M Mullingar Harriers A.C. 20:26.50
U23 M 5000m
1 11 862 Matthew Neill U23 M Strive Racing A.C. 14:44.88
2 3 860 Thomas Devaney U23 M Castlebar A.C. 14:55.25
3 1 861 Stephen Fay U23 M Raheny Shamrock A.C. 15:03.80
Junior W 100m
1 3 458 Lucy-May Sleeman JUN W Leevale A.C. 11.63
2 4 443 Jennifer Hanrahan JUN W Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 12.16
3 5 455 Cressida Amaniampong JUN W Skerries A.C. 12.35
Junior M 100m
1 3 686 Runo Ayavoro JUN M Newbridge A.C. 10.49
2 6 705 Oliver Swinney JUN M Speed Development Project Track A.C. 10.54
3 5 709 Nkemjika Onwumereh JUN M Metro/St. Brigids A.C. 10.76
U23 M 100m
1 3 721 Israel Olatunde U23 M U.C.D. A.C. 10.24 NR. CR
2 6 726 Toluwabori Akinola U23 M Fingallians A.C. 10.30
3 5 738 Gabriel Kehinde U23 M Ennis Track A.C. 10.57
U23 W 100m
1 3 466 Laura Nally U23 W Galway City Harriers A.C. 12.14
2 4 1601 Sive O`Toole U23 W St. L. O'Toole A.C. 12.35
3 2 469 Niamh O`Neill U23 W St. Colmans South Mayo A.C. 12.39
U23 M Hammer
1 5 877 Sean Mockler U23 M Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C. 60.07
2 1 874 Robert Higgins U23 M Na Fianna A.C. 44.53
3 4 876 Padraig O`Callaghan U23 M Leevale A.C. 41.83
Junior W Hammer
1 7 566 Nicola Tuthill JUN W Bandon A.C. 57.07
2 6 567 Adrienne Gallen JUN W Lifford Strabane A.C. 51.01
3 2 570 Eadaoin Coady JUN W St. Abbans A.C. 41.76
Junior W 1500m
1 7 531 Ava O`Connor JUN W Tullamore Harriers A.C. 4:38.07
2 3 533 Emma Landers JUN W Youghal A.C. 4:44.32
3 6 529 Alex Carey JUN W Inbhear Dee A.C. 4:57.95
Junior M 1500m
1 4 919 Mark Hanrahan JUN M Ennis Track A.C. 3:56.49
2 7 817 Dean Casey JUN M Ennis Track A.C. 3:56.94
3 2 747 Aaron Shorten JUN M St. L. O'Toole A.C. 3:57.77
Junior W 200m
1 6 458 Lucy-May Sleeman JUN W Leevale A.C. 24.32
2 8 512 Hannah Murray JUN W Finn Valley A.C. 25.31
3 4 455 Cressida Amaniampong JUN W Skerries A.C. 25.63
Junior M 200m
1 3 642 James Ezeonu JUN M Leevale A.C. 21.43
2 4 684 Darragh Murphy JUN M Limerick A.C. 21.96
3 8 688 Padraic Hassett JUN M Nenagh Olympic A.C. 22.16
U23 W 200m
1 6 467 Lauren Cadden U23 W Sligo A.C. 24.42
2 7 435 Molly Hourihan U23 W Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 24.59
3 5 466 Laura Nally U23 W Galway City Harriers A.C. 24.90
U23 M 200m
1 4 730 Colin Doyle U23 M Leevale A.C. 20.90
2 3 726 Toluwabori Akinola U23 M Fingallians A.C. 21.37
3 7 848 Ciaran Carthy U23 M Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 21.40
Junior M 3000m
1 2 810 Nicholas Griggs JUN M Mid Ulster A.C. 8:17.24
2 11 923 Jack Fenlon JUN M St. Abbans A.C. 8:22.45
3 16 935 Callum Morgan JUN M St Malachy's A.C. 8:26.97
Junior W 3000m
1 3 530 Avril Millerick JUN W Youghal A.C. 10:07.40
2 4 624 Roise Roberts JUN W North Belfast Harriers 10:13.42
3 2 619 Muireann Duffy JUN W Clonmel A.C. 10:17.84
U23 W High Jump
1 4 599 Ciara Kennelly U23 W Killarney Valley A.C. 1.70
2 3 547 Lara O`Byrne U23 W Donore Harriers 1.65
3 2 550 Louise King U23 W St. Colmans South Mayo A.C. 1.60
Junior W High Jump
1 5 578 Laura Frawley JUN W Emerald A.C. 1.65
2 4 596 Aoife O`Sullivan JUN W Liscarroll A.C. 1.65
3 2 595 Michelle Cashman JUN W Naas A.C. 1.60
U23 M High Jump
1 3 905 Jordan Lee U23 M Killarney Valley A.C. 1.85
2 2 904 Olumese Roberts U23 M Le Chéile A.C. 1.75
U23 W Long Jump
1 4 585 Ruby Millet U23 W St. Abbans A.C. 6.62 +3.4m/s
2 6 586 Lauren Callaghan U23 W Finn Valley A.C. 5.69
3 7 548 Maeve Hayes U23 W St. Pauls A.C. 5.24
Junior W Long
1 17 582 Grace Fitzgerald JUN W Tipperary Town A.C. 5.74
2 2 545 Katie Nolke JUN W Ferrybank A.C. 5.71
3 5 578 Laura Frawley JUN W Emerald A.C. 5.66 Jump
Junior M Long Jump
1 3 882 Reece Ademola JUN M Leevale A.C. 7.76 CR
Junior W Discus
1 2 610 Anna Gavigan JUN W LSA 46.35
2 6 1634 Claire Kennedy JUN W Birr A.C. 39.41
3 3 609 Holly Wright JUN W Crookstown Millview A.C. 35.94
Junior M Javelin
1 3 910 Oisin Joyce JUN M Lake District Athletics 56.81
2 4 909 Charlie Lawden JUN M North Down A.C. 46.99
3 7 908 Euan Canniffe JUN M Boyne A.C. 41.08
U23 M Javelin
1 4 913 Conor Cusack U23 M Lake District Athletics 58.88
2 3 650 Sean Carolan U23 M Nenagh Olympic A.C. 49.98
3 1 912 Jack Brownlie U23 M City of Lisburn A.C. 46.13
Junior M Shot Put
1 Liam Shaw JUN M Athenry A.C. 15.14
2 Callum Keating JUN M North Cork A.C. 13.90
3 Jack Forde JUN M St. Killian's A.C. 13.79
U23 Men Shot Put
1 James Kelly U23 M Finn Valley A.C. 16.45
2 Sean Carolan U23 M Nenagh Olympic A.C. 13.28
3 Padraig Hore U23 M D.M.P. A.C. 12.15
Full results HERE