The TUS International Arena in Athlone is set to welcome the rising stars of Irish athletics on Sunday as they take to competition at the 123.ie U20 and U23 Indoor Championships (March 9th).
Entries include a whole host of rising stars who medalled at last month’s national senior indoor championships. Max O’Reilly (Riverstick Kinsale AC) looks set to take his place in the U23 60m heats on the back of his superb silver medal behind Bori Akinola at the senior indoor championships last month.
Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers) secured silver over 200m at seniors and will face up against a strong looking field in the U23 400m which also includes Niamh Murray of Bray Runners, while Sean Doggett (Athenry AC) is another to keep an eye on in the U20 men’s 400m on the back of his brilliant senior bronze medal.
The U20 division is sure to offer lots of exciting events throughout the day with a potential clash between Joe Burke (Templemore AC) and Luke Timlin (Crusaders AC) over 200m one not to be missed.
Adam Nolan (SLOT) continued his winning championship run to take the national 60m hurdles title at the Sport Ireland NIA two weeks ago and looks another red-hot favorite for gold this weekend.
The field events boast several senior medallists including the recent senior pole vault champions Meabh Corkery (Midleton AC) and Michael Kent (DMP AC) who will be out to add to their medal collection once again in their respective U20 competitions. Kent also looks set to go in the U20 long jump and looks the one to beat.
Tara O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards) picked up silver in the high jump at seniors last month and is another to keep close eye on throughout the day as she looks to double up in both the high jump and long jump.
They are just some of the over 500 athletes who will battle it out for national honours across the busy 8-hour schedule which gets underway from 10am.
- Timetable HERE
- Live Stream via Athletics Ireland’s YouTube Channel: Subscribe HERE
- Entries & Live Results: HERE (Updated Sun March 9th)
- Spectator Tickets (U16s free): HERE
- Please note that pay and display parking will be in operation in some areas of the TUS car parks. Clamping will be in operation. See map for further details.
U23 PREVIEW
The first track medals of the day will be decided in the 1500m where Hannah Keogh (Kilkenny City Harriers), Amy Greene (Finn Valley AC), and Alexandra Joyce (Tuam AC) should go well, while Louie Woodger (MSB) will look to lower the flag of defending champion Oisin Murray( An Riocht) on the back of his impressive top ten finish at seniors.
The 1500m finals are preceded by the 60m heats which jump-start the day’s action. The men’s final should be a cracker if all the likely favourites make it through to the afternoon’s medal decider. Max O’Reilly looks the one to beat on the back of his silver in Abbottstown last month, while Tallaght’s Sean Aigboboh and defending champion Nkemjika Onwumereh (MSB) are unlikely to make things easy. Runo Ayavoro (Newbridge AC) was 8th at seniors and will be in the thick of the action.
There will be a new champion in the women’s 60m following the recent domination of Katie Bergin. Aisling Kelly (UCD) is one of the standout entries on the back of her impressive championship performance last month.
The heats of the 400m are set for a 11.35am start and the women’s event could provide one of the races of the day if all likely contenders make it through to the final. Rivals Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers) and Niamh Murray (Bray Runners) could very much duke it out in the final with O’Connell moving back up the 400m as she bids to defend her title following her silver medal over 200m at seniors.
The men’s 400 looks just as hard to call on paper with the likes of Darragh Masterson (Ratoath AC) and Joseph Aidoo (Letterkenny AC) sure to be among the finalists.
Finn Woodger (Metro/St. Brigids AC) looks one of the leading favourites over 800m following his fast-finishing silver medal behind Kevin McGrath at seniors, while Oisin Kelly and Jack Kelly (Tallaght AC) could give him most to do. Renee Crotty (UCD AC) has impressed for UCD already this indoor season and could very well be the one to beat in the U23 women’s final.
Heats of 200m will follow swiftly after the 800 where Aisling Kelly (UCD AC) could look to double up in an open looking event. The men’s race could come down to a dual between Andrew Egan (Galway City Harriers) and Padraic Hasset (Nenagh Olympic) with Hasset looking to regain his crown from 2023.
The 3k walks final are scheduled for a 3.35pm start. Ciara Wilson Bowen (Dundrum South Dublin AC) looks the one to beat if showing no ill effects on the back of her bronze medal winning performance at seniors two weeks previous.
The hurdlers take to the track from 4.15pm where national senior champion Adam Nolan (St. L. O’Toole AC) will look to continue his winning run over the short hurdles. Nolan looked ultra impressive in taking the recent senior title with his greatest threat likely to come from rival Sean Carmody (Leevale AC).
Laura Frawley (Nenagh Olympic) looks set for a busy day and could grab another medal in the women’s 60mH race. Frawley may have to get by Arabella Adekoya (SLOT) who is unlikely to relinquish her title easy on the back of her senior bronze behind Sarah Lavin and clubmate Molly Scott.
The field events look set to deliver some of the most enthralling match ups of the day, no more so than the women’s long jump where Laura Frawley (Nenagh Olympic AC) and Grace Fitzgerald (St Abbans AC) will renew acquaintances.
Frawley could also go in the high jump where competition looks just as fierce with Aoife O’Sullivan out to defend her title on the back of an impressive indoor season which has been topped with a senior bronze thanks to a 1.75m clearance. Nenagh’s Ava Rochford will likely have a say in the direction of Sunday’s high jump medals.
Joshua Fitzgerald (Leevale AC) won the last two U20 pole vault titles and will look to continue the winning run in the U23 category this weekend, while rising star of Irish throws, Kotryna Pacerinskaite (Fanahan McSweeney AC) will be a red hot favourite in the shot and WFD.
JUNIOR PREVIEW
The U20 women’s 1500m could be one of the races of the day with Emily Bolton (Conliffe Harriers), Annabel Morrison (Enniskillen AC), Jennifer O’Leary (Nenagh Olympic), and Emer Mckee (Willowfield Harriers) just some of the likely contenders. Saturday’s All Ireland schools cross country could result in some absentees on the start line however.
The men’s race is sure to be a thriller with the raw speed of Sean Cronin (Clonliffe Harriers) and Caolan McFadden (Cranford AC) set to ensure no hiding places.
The heats of the 60m will see the return of 2023 champion Jesse Osas (Ratoath AC) who will be right in contention once more. Jamie Moffatt (North Down AC) could be one to keep a close eye on in the heats.
The women’s 60m is also one not to be missed with an entries from Precious Akpe Moses (BlackRock AC) and Fatima Amusan (Leevale) sure to be of interest to many if both take to the blocks.
The heats of the 400m will be hotly contest with potential places on 4x400m relay teams up for grabs. Sean Doggett (Athenry AC) looks the star attraction in the men’s competition, while the women’s side looks an all more open affair with Daisy Walker (Monaghan Phoenix), Maria Zakharenko (Kilcoole AC0, and Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan Harriers) all entered, albeit there is some doubt on some athletes making the star-line due to illness.
Caolan McFadden also holds and entry in the 800m and would be tough to pass, while Freya Bateman (Belgooly AC) could be the one in the women’s 800m as both of their stars continue to rise.
Last year’s European U18 bronze medallist Joe Burke (Templemore AC) should go well once again in the 200m, but he will have a race on his hands with the in-form Luke Timlin coming off a podium performance at seniors (bronze in 21.76).
Ratoath’s Katie Doherty looks the standout entry in the women’s 200m and she too will look to make it three-in-a-row following her impressive recent 4th place at seniors. Hannah Falvey and an entry from Precious Akpe Moses could make things interesting.
The 3k walks are set for 3.35pm with Savanagh O’Callaghan (Tuam AC) out to defend her title in the U20 race. O’Callaghan will face plenty of competition with Robin Og Murphy looking chief threat. The west walks revival looks to continue in the men’s race where Seamus Clarke (Moy Valley AC) looks the one to beat having finished over 25 seconds ahead of Matthew Newell (Tuam AC) at seniors.
There will be some cracking hurdles action in the afternoon’s session with Jack Keating (SLOT) and Orlaith Mannion 9South Galway AC) among the likely gold medal contenders.
National senior champion Michael Kent looks the star attraction in the field events with the DMP AC athlete set to go for gold in both the pole vault and long jump this weekend. Kent secured his first senior pole vault title with a lifetime best of 4.70m.
The women’s long jump will be worth honing in on with Tiffany Nwaedzie (Belgooly AC) looking to bolster her chances for selection for the European Youth Olympics.
Triple jumper Darragh Fahy (Loughrea AC) could be the one for gold in the men’s competition, while both Lucy Fitzgerald (St Abbans) and Leagh Moloney (Dooneen AC) will be eying up top spot in the women’s triple.
Tara O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerards) looks the standout entry in the women’s high jump following the likely withdrawal of Siun Quinn due to injury. O’Connor took silver at seniors with a best clearance of 1.81m which will be likely enough to secure gold on Sunday.
Conor Penney (Craughwell AC) always puts on a show and is making the two-meter milestone look routine of late. The 16-year-old cleared 2.06m at the NIA just last weekend.
There will be no shortage of interest in the throws competitions with Gowran’s Andrew Cooper back to national competition in the shot as he looks to build on last year’s national senior title. Caoimhe Gallen (Lifford Strabane) should go well in the women’s shot.
Relay Finals
The 4x400m relays will sign off the 123.ie National Junior and U23 Championships for 2024 with the women’s race the penultimate final of the day scheduled for 6.00pm. The races are sure to provide their customary end of day drama as action comes to a close.
Live Results HERE
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