Another Spectacular Week of NI Performances

Ciara Mageean showed her class in her season’s debut at the British Milers Club in Manchester last Saturday in a time of 1:58.51, finishing second behind UK U20 rising star Phoebe Gill. Last night she went on to win the 1500m in 4:01.98 at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava. Ciara is in excellent form ahead of the European Championships in Rome which start next week and has stated her intention to top the podium in Italy’s capital.

Elsewhere in Europe, in Brussels Nick Griggs (CNDR Track Club) ran 3:38.19 in a competitive 1500m field, he will also be heading to Rome for the European Championships. While training partner and club mate Callum Morgan was competing in the 5000m, running 13:46.29 (PB). There were also solid one lap performances from Ballymena & Antrim athletes Callum Baird who ran 46.80 and for Adam Courtney who ran the 400m Hurdles in 53.75 (PB). Meanwhile, Pole Vaulter Ellie McCartney (City of Lisburn AC) continued her season’s success with a second-place finish in Germany, jumping 4.30m behind Olympic medallist Holly Bradshaw.

Closer to home, the ANI Team Trophy & Senior Open meet last Sunday saw some notable team and individual performances. Omagh Harriers won the men’s Team Trophy and last year’s winners Lagan Valley retained the women’s Team Trophy. Some highlight individual performances included Craig Newell’s (Ballymena & Antrim AC) 10.81 in the 100m, Conall Kirk’s (CNDR Track Club) 3:57.96 in the 1500m and Aoife McGreevy’s (UCD) 9:45.29 in the 3000m, her first track race in three years. On the same day Annadale Striders’ Eskander Turki and Cameron Stewart won the Newell 10k and 5k in 30:50 and 14:37 respectively and Catherine O’Connor (East Down AC) won the women’s 5k in 16.52.