Proper Does Double on Day One of 2014 GloHealth Track and Field Championships
Kelly Proper (Ferrybank AC) completed the double on day one of the GloHealth Senior Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium retaining her Long Jump and 200m title. Proper started the day by taking the Long Jump title with a leap of 6.27m making it her seventh national title in this event.
The Waterford woman followed this up by taking the 200m title in 23.23 into a -1.6 wind just off her personal best of 23.16 set in Germany last week. Sarah Lavin (UCD AC) who ran a personal best in the heats of the 200m of 23.65, equalling the B standard for the European Championship was second in 23.66. Steffi Creaner (Dublin City Harriers) made an impressive return from injury to clutch third in 24.10. Proper will line up in the 100m and Lavin will line up her specialist 100m Hurdles tomorrow.
There was a blanket finish in the Men’s 200m between David Hynes (Menapians AC) and Eanna Madden (Carrick-on-Shannon A.C.) both recording 21.42. Keith Doherty of Tallaght AC was third in 21.68. One of the race favourite’s Craig Lynch was disqualified for false starting.
Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) was a clear winner in the 5000m with 15:39.40 as she builds up towards the 10000m at the European Championships. There was first national track titles for Michael Clohisey in the 10000m in 29:58.3 and Sarah Treacy (Dunboyne AC) in the 3000m Steeplechase in a personal best of 9:59.75.
In the first event on the track school girl Sinead Burke (St.Coca’s AC) won the 5k walk in 25:17.86 .
Field Events
In the women’s Pole Vault event Zoe Brown (Raheny Shamrock AC) took the title with a vault of 4.30m in the head to head with Tori Pena (Finn Valley AC) who cleared 4.20m. Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) secured his sixth national title in the Shot Put with 16.27m. In the Men’s High Jump Liam Zamel-Paez (Clonliffe Harriers AC) won with 2.16m. There was a fifth national title for Dennis Finnegan (An Riocht) retaining his national title in the triple jump with a leap of 15.34m while Cara Kennedy (Ferrybank AC) secured her fourth title in a row when winning the women’s hammer with a throw of 56.86 In the Javelin Anita Fitzgibbon won her fifth national title with a throw of 48.62.
Qualifiers for Finals
In the Men’s 1500m heat all the key contenders qualified for the final with Paul Robinson (St.Coca’s AC), David McCarthy (West Waterford AC), Ciaran O’Lionaird (Leevale AC) and John Travers (Donore Harriers) all set to line up in the final. The athlete who wins the National Championships and has achieved the performance standard within the qualification period will be automatically selected.
In the women's race former World Junior medallist, Ciara Mageean (UCD AC) made a welcome return to the track to won heat one of the 1500m while Fionnuala Britton won heat two.
In the 800m men’s race Mark English (UCD AC) and Declan Murray (Clonliffe Harriers AC) were easy qualifiers as Roseanne Galligan (Newbridge AC) in the women’s heats. Laura Crowe (An Riocht) opting not to compete due to on-going niggle while Ciara Everard (UCD AC) lined up in the 400m heats.
In the Men’s 400m there will be a real battle with athletes wanting to show form in advance of final selection of the 4x400m team for the European Championships. The fastest qualifiers were Brian Gregan 47.25, Craig Lynch 47.42 Brian Murphy 47.53 and Richard Morrisey 47.70.
Family Event
Tomorrow there will be plenty of Family Fun. The day starts with the GloHealth Mile Challenge taking place from 11-12pm. The fun will continue all day with face painting, competitions and the GloHealth Fitzone at which spectators can test their speed, jump ability, distance, reaction times and strength using state of the art equipment including speed gates, digital mats, BATAK reaction boards and digital grip dynamometers.