Multi Event Star Kate OConnor sets new NI U18 Record

26 June 2017

Kate O’Connor (Michael O’Connor) was again the star performer as local athletes performed well at a number of high profile events over the weekend.

Competing at the Irish Life HealthTailteann Games in Santry, Dublin (Saturday 24th June 2017), St Vincent’s Dundalk student Kate bettered her own Northern Ireland Under 18 Shot Putt (3kg) record when she threw 14.54m.  The multi-event star then went on to win the Javelin (500g) competition with a record breaking 47.63m effort, before clocking 25.38 for 200m.

Also in Santry, Lauren Roy (Slemish College) was just outside her 100m best when she recorded 12.11 (-0.5) for 2nd place – Anna McCauley (Methodist College) followed in 3rd place with a new personal best of 12.20 (-0.5).  Anna’s 1.71m (2nd place) in the High Jump was also a personal best performance.

There was also a 4:47.27 (3rd place) 1500m personal best for Murphy Miller (Strathearn) at the event.  Erin Fisher (Methodist College) equalled her Pole Vault best of 3.10m to secure Joint 2nd place with fellow NI athlete Harriet Dougan (BRA), who also finished on 3.10m.  Iona MacPherson (Belfast HS) leaped to 10.93m (-0.2) for 3rd place in the Triple Jump.  Jade Williams (Bailieborough CS) won the 3kg Hammer event with a 57.92m (1st place) throw.  Rachel McCann (Sullivan Upper) ran a 300m personal best of 40.23 (2nd place).

Cormac O’Rourke (St Malachy’s Belfast) won the 800m in a personal best of 1:56.14 (1st place), while in the 1500m, fellow Lagan Valley AC athlete Alex Boyd, competing for Regent House, recorded 4:07.64 (1st place) for victory.  In the 3,000m, St Colmans Newry athlete Jack O’Farrell ran a huge personal best of 9:06.18 for 3rd place.  There was also a podium place for Grosvenor Grammar student Andrew Hagen, who ran 4:39.15 (3rd place) in the 1500m Steeplechase.  Adam Hughes (Regent House) won the 400m in 51.47 (1st place).

In the Relay competition, there were podium places for Ulster teams.  The 4x100m Girls recorded 48.09 for 2nd place and 4x300m Girls took 3rd place in 2:46.95.  The 4x100m Boys 44.73 for 3rd place, while the 4x400m Boys claimed 2nd place with a 3:35.44 finish.

European standards hit as athletes enjoy Irish Milers Club Belfast Grand Prix at Mary Peters Track

A blustery day welcomed athletes from all over the UK and Ireland to the impressive Mary Peters Track in Belfast for the annual Irish Milers Club Belfast Grand Prix, an event co-hosted by Belfast based clubs Beechmount Harriers and West Best Coolers (Saturday 24th June 2017).

Despite the withdrawal of several high-profile athletes, spectators were treated to an excellent day of competition, which included three European Junior qualifying standards and numerous personal bests – all despite the at times strong head wind at the back end of the track.

Brandon Arrey (Blarney Inniscarra AC), Alanna Lally (UCD AC) and Sarah Healy (Blackrock AC) were arguably the top performers of the day.  Brandon and Alanna put themselves up for selection for the Ireland team heading to the upcoming European Athletics Under 23 Championships with qualifying standards and Sarah again dipped below the European Under 20 standard with a huge personal best.

Jason Smyth (Derry Track Club) opened the day with a fairly sharp 10.76 (1st place) to lead the way a 100m warm up event before he returned and won the 100m ‘A’ race in slightly quicker 10.70 (+0.6).  Ballymena & Antrim AC’s Christopher Doherty took 1st place in the 100m ‘B’ race in 11.52 (-1.4) and added a 23.39 for 1st place in the 200m ‘B’ race later in the afternoon.

Dublin City Harriers athlete Catherine McManus was the stand out performer in the ladies sprints with an 11.84 (+0.0) for 1st place in the 100m and 23.95 (+3.0) for 1st place in the 200m.  Sligo AC’s Aaron Cadden topped the men’s 200m  ‘A’ with a 22.30 (-0.9) clocking for 1st place.

The aforementioned Brandon Arrey (Blarney Inniscarra AC) edged out Harry Purcell (Trim AC) and Craig Newell (Ballymena & Antrim AC) to win the men’s 400m ‘A’ race in 47.57, a European Under 23 standard.  Scotland based Blair Crawford (Kilbarchan AAC) won the ‘B’ race in 49.45 (1st place), while brothers and University of Ulster students Ronan Bloomer and Justin Bloomer battled it out for top spot in the ‘C’ race – in the end, Ronan dipped across the line for victory in 53.50 (1st place).  DSD AC’s Mollie O’Reilly won the ladies 400m ‘A’ race in 55.10 (1st place).

In the men’s 3,000m race, Raheny Shamrocks AC’s Conor Dooney stayed with the pacer well before pushing on during the latter stages of the race to take a well-deserved victory in 8:16.90 (1st place).

Mullingar Harriers AC’s Shane Fitzsimons and Emerald AC’s Amy O’Donoghue were the quickest male and female athletes over 800m, with Shane clocking 1:50.33 (1st place) to win the men’s ‘A’ race and Amy crossing the line in 2:06.32 for 1st place in the ladies ‘A’ race – Alanna Lally (UCD AC) took 2nd place in the ladies ‘A’ race in a European Under 23 qualifying standard of 2:06.43.

Conor Duncan (Ratoath AC) won the men’s 800m ‘B’ race in 1:55.19 (1st place), while North Belfast Harriers’ Andrew Milligan recorded a new personal best of 1:58.29 for 1st place in the ‘C’ race.  Mullingar Harriers’ Oisin Quinn clocked 2:00.80 for 1st place in the ‘D’ race, while John McQuad (Omagh Harriers) took victory in the ‘E’ race at in 2:08.47 (1st place).  Denise Toner (Clones AC) won the ladies 800m ‘B’ race in 2:14.72 (1st place).

Teresa McDaid coached athletes Danny Mooney (Letterkenny AC) and Sean Corry (Omagh Harriers) secured victory in the men’s 1500m ‘A’ and ‘B’ races respectively, with Danny breaking the beam in 3:45.49 (1st place) in the ‘A’ race and up and coming star Sean winning the ‘B’ race in 4:02:51 (1st place), a massive personal best.

Blackrock AC’s Sarah Healy had already achieved the European Under 20 1500m qualifying standard, but the rising star re-affirmed her position by running well under the 4:24.00 ‘A’ standard – She covered the metric mile in a huge personal best of 4:20.84, securing 1st place.

Prior to the senior athletes taking to the track, over 20 junior competitors took on the 1,000m Primary School races.  Finn O’Neill from City of Derry AC won the boy’s event in 3:00.12 (1st place), while East Down AC’s Lauren Madine took 1st place in the girls race in 3:16.29.

Elsewhere this weekend…

Crusaders AC athlete Jason Harvey (Nick Dakin) recorded a 400m hurdles season’s best whilst competing at the Meeting à thème Quatrache de Saint-Egreve in France.  Jason crossed the line in 51.20 for 2nd place.

A team of four junior mountain runners represented Northern Ireland at the 12th edition of the World Mountain Running Association’s (WMRA) Youth World Cup in Italy.

Tony McCambridge (St Malachy’s AC), Tom Magee (St Colman's), Miceal McCaul (St Colman's) and Brendan McKey (St Malachy’s HS Castlewellan) narrowly missed a top ten place in the team competition, taking 9th place against top quality opposition.

Source: NiRunning